[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4963 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4963

  To recognize the right of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to call a 
constitutional convention through which the people of Puerto Rico would 
    exercise their right to self-determination, and to establish a 
      mechanism for congressional consideration of such decision.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 15, 2006

 Mr. Duncan (for himself, Mr. Jones of North Carolina, Mr. Wicker, Mr. 
 Pickering, Mr. Bonner, Mr. Gutknecht, Mr. Bachus, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. 
 Faleomavaega, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Honda, Mr. Meeks of 
 New York, Mr. Oberstar, Ms. Solis, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, and Mr. 
Udall of New Mexico) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                     to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To recognize the right of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to call a 
constitutional convention through which the people of Puerto Rico would 
    exercise their right to self-determination, and to establish a 
      mechanism for congressional consideration of such decision.

    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 ``Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act 
of 2006''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commonwealth.--The term ``Commonwealth'' means the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
            (2) Self-determination option.--The term ``self-
        determination option'' means an option agreed to by a 
        constitutional convention in the Commonwealth for a new or 
        modified Commonwealth status, statehood, or independence.
            (3) Self-determination proposal.--The term ``self-
        determination proposal'' means a document submitted to Congress 
        by a constitutional convention in the Commonwealth that 
        proposes a self-determination option.

SEC. 3. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

    (a) Authority.--Congress reaffirms the inherent authority of the 
government of the Commonwealth to call, and hereby expressly authorizes 
the calling of, a constitutional convention through the election of 
delegates for the purpose of establishing a mechanism for self-
determination.
    (b) Purpose of Constitutional Convention.--The purpose of a 
constitutional convention called under subsection (a) is to propose to 
Congress--
            (1) a new or amended compact of association to replace or 
        amend the compact established under the Act entitled ``An Act 
        to provide for the organization of a constitutional government 
        by the people of Puerto Rico'', approved July 3, 1950 (64 Stat. 
        319) (commonly referred to as ``Public Law 600'') and the 
        Commonwealth constitution;
            (2) the admission of the Commonwealth as a State in the 
        United States; or
            (3) the declaration of the Commonwealth as an independent 
        country.

SEC. 4. SELF-DETERMINATION PROPOSAL.

    (a) Submission to Congress of Self-Determination Proposal.--Upon 
the approval by a constitutional convention in the Commonwealth of a 
self-determination option, the constitutional convention shall submit a 
self-determination proposal to Congress for approval.
    (b) Disposition of Self-Determination Proposal.--
            (1) Referendum.--If a self-determination proposal is 
        approved by Congress with or without modifications, the 
        proposal shall be submitted to the people of the Commonwealth 
        for approval or rejection in a referendum.
            (2) Enactment of proposal.--If the people of the 
        Commonwealth approve the self-determination proposal in a 
        referendum held pursuant to paragraph (1), a joint resolution 
        of Congress shall be enacted approving the terms of the 
        proposal and including provisions necessary to implement the 
        proposal.
            (3) Rejection of proposal.--If a self-determination 
        proposal is not approved by Congress pursuant to subsection (a) 
        or is not approved by the people of the Commonwealth in a 
        referendum held pursuant to paragraph (1), the Government of 
        the Commonwealth should call for a new constitutional 
        convention, including an election by the people of the 
        Commonwealth of new delegates to the convention, for the 
        purpose of formulating and submitting to Congress a new self-
        determination proposal.

SEC. 5. CONVENTION IN CONTINUOUS SESSION.

    A constitutional convention held pursuant to this Act may remain in 
session until a self-determination proposal is approved in a referendum 
by the people of the Commonwealth and enacted by a joint resolution of 
Congress.
                                 <all>