[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4442 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4442

 To provide consultations for the development of Articles of Relations 
      and Self-Government for insular areas of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 17, 1994

 Mr. Young of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide consultations for the development of Articles of Relations 
      and Self-Government for insular areas of the United States.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that:
            (1) The United States of America has long been committed to 
        making it possible for all peoples to exercise their inherent 
        rights of self-government.
            (2) While the nearly four million citizens of the insular 
        areas of the United States of America are United States 
        citizens (or, in the case of American Samoa, United States 
        nationals) and have achieved local self-government, they do not 
        fully participate in the Federal decisionmaking process 
        although they are subject to Federal laws, rules, and 
        regulations.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to provide a process whereby the 
citizens of United States insular areas can achieve a full measure of 
self-government through political integration into the United States or 
through another arrangement with the United States.

SEC. 3. ARTICLES OF RELATIONS AND SELF-GOVERNMENT.

    (a) General Authorization.--Before December 31, 1998, the President 
and the government of an insular area may develop, and submit to the 
Congress, proposed measures to enable the citizens of the insular area 
to exercise greater powers of self-government or greater participation 
in the Federal system.
    (b) Appointment of United States Representative.--At the request of 
the government of an insular area transmitted not later than December 
31, 1997, the President shall designate a personal representative to 
consult and develop in good faith with representatives designated by 
the government of the area, Articles of Relations and Self-Government.
    (c) Submission Deadline.--The proposed Articles and a report on the 
consultations shall be submitted to the Congress within one year after 
the appointment of a representative under subsection (b).
    (d) Ratification.--Upon enactment of a resolution approving the 
proposed Articles, the legislation shall be submitted to the citizens 
of the insular area in a plebiscite organized by the government of the 
insular area and shall take effect in accordance with the terms of such 
resolution if ratified by a majority vote in that plebiscite.
    (e) Insular Area Defined.--For the purpose of this Act, the term 
``insular area'' includes American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the 
Virgin Islands.

SEC. 4. GENERAL INSULAR AREAS PROCESSES.

    The process for developing the status of insular areas provided for 
by this Act shall be in addition to any other process for addressing 
issues in the relationship between the United States and an insular 
area established by or initiated pursuant to any other Federal or 
insular area Act and enactment of this Act is not intended to prevent 
or limit such efforts.

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