[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1977 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1977

To provide for a nonvoting delegate to the House of Representatives to 
      represent the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 23, 2001

 Mr. Underwood (for himself and Mr. Schaffer) introduced the following 
         bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for a nonvoting delegate to the House of Representatives to 
      represent the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Northern Marianas Delegate Act''.

SEC. 2. DELEGATE TO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM COMMONWEALTH OF THE 
              NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.

    The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands shall be 
represented in the United States Congress by the Resident 
Representative to the United States authorized by section 901 of the 
Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in 
Political Union with the United States of America (approved by Public 
Law 94-241 (48 U.S.C. 1681 note)). The Resident Representative shall be 
a nonvoting Delegate to the House of Representatives, elected as 
provided in this Act.

SEC. 3. ELECTION OF DELEGATE.

    (a) Electors and Time of Election.--The Delegate shall be elected--
            (1) by the people qualified to vote for the popularly 
        elected officials of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
        Islands; and
            (2) at the general election of 2002, on the day and month 
        set by Article VIII, section 1, of the Constitution of the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and at such 
        general election every 2d year thereafter.
    (b) Manner of Election.--The Delegate shall be elected at large, by 
separate ballot, and by a majority of the votes cast for the office of 
Delegate. If no candidate receives such majority, on the 14th day 
following such election a runoff election shall be held between the 
candidates receiving the highest and the 2d highest number of votes 
cast for the office of Delegate.
    (c) Vacancy.--In case of a permanent vacancy in the office of 
Delegate, by reason of death, resignation, or permanent disability, the 
office of Delegate shall remain vacant until a successor is elected and 
qualified.
    (d) Commencement of Term.--The term of the Delegate shall commence 
on the 3d day of January following the date of the election.

SEC. 4. QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE OF DELEGATE.

    To be eligible for the office of Delegate a candidate shall--
            (1) be at least 25 years of age on the date of the 
        election;
            (2) have been a citizen of the United States for at least 7 
        years prior to the date of the election;
            (3) be an inhabitant of the Commonwealth of the Northern 
        Mariana Islands; and
            (4) not be, on the date of the election, a candidate for 
        any other office.

SEC. 5. DETERMINATION OF ELECTION PROCEDURE.

    Acting pursuant to legislation enacted in accordance with the 
Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the 
Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands may 
determine the order of names on the ballot for election of Delegate, 
the method by which a special election to fill a vacancy in the office 
of Delegate shall be conducted, the method by which ties between 
candidates for the office of Delegate shall be resolved, and all other 
matters of local application pertaining to the election and the office 
of Delegate not otherwise expressly provided for in this Act.

SEC. 6. COMPENSATION, PRIVILEGES, AND IMMUNITIES.

    Until the Rules of the House of Representatives are amended to 
provide otherwise, the Delegate from the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands shall receive the same compensation, allowances, and 
benefits as a Member of the House of Representatives, and shall be 
entitled to whatever privileges and immunities are, or hereinafter may 
be, granted to any other nonvoting Delegate to the House of 
Representatives.

SEC. 7. LACK OF EFFECT ON COVENANT.

    No provision of this Act shall be construed to alter, amend, or 
abrogate any provision of the covenant referred to in section 2 except 
section 901 of the covenant.

SEC. 8. DEFINITION.

    For purposes of this Act, the term ``Delegate'' means the Resident 
Representative referred to in section 2.
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