[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2000 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2000
To set forth the process for Puerto Rico to be admitted as a State of
the Union.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 15, 2013
Mr. Pierluisi (for himself, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr.
Serrano, Mr. King of New York, Mr. George Miller of California, Ms.
Ros-Lehtinen, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Waxman, Ms.
Kaptur, Mr. Engel, Mr. Faleomavaega, Ms. Norton, Ms. Brown of Florida,
Mr. Mica, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Kind, Mr. Crowley,
Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Ellison, Ms. Castor of
Florida, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Schock, Mr. Sablan, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Polis, Mr.
Grayson, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Garcia, and Ms. Shea-Porter)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To set forth the process for Puerto Rico to be admitted as a State of
the Union.
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 Status Resolution Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) In 1898, Puerto Rico became a United States territory
and persons born in Puerto Rico have been granted United States
citizenship by law since March 2, 1917.
(2) Puerto Rico has been granted authority over local
matters that is similar to the authority that the several
States possess, but Puerto Rico remains subject to the powers
of Congress under the Territory Clause of the Constitution of
the United States.
(3) The approximately 3,700,000 residents of Puerto Rico do
not have a democratic form of government at the national level,
because United States citizens residing in the territory are
disenfranchised in the election for the President and the Vice
President of the United States, are not represented in the
United States Senate, and their one representative in the
United States House of Representatives can only vote in
committees of the United States House of Representatives.
(4) The Federal Government may--and often does--treat
Puerto Rico and its residents unequally under Federal program,
tax, and other laws relative to the several States and the
District of Columbia and their residents.
(5) On November 6, 2012, the Government of Puerto Rico held
a two-part referendum. The first question asked voters if
Puerto Rico ``should continue to have its present form of
territorial status''. Of the 1,798,987 voters who chose an
option, 53.97 percent voted against continued territorial
status.
(6) The second question asked voters to express their
preference among the three possible alternatives to territorial
status: statehood, independence, and nationhood in free
association with the United States. Of the 1,363,854 voters who
chose an option, 61.16 percent voted for statehood.
(7) The number of votes cast in favor of statehood exceeded
the number of votes cast in favor of continued territorial
status.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to provide for a federally
authorized ratification vote in Puerto Rico on the admission of Puerto
Rico into the Union as a State and, if a majority of voters ratify
Puerto Rico's desire for statehood, to describe the steps that the
President and Congress shall take to enable the admission of Puerto
Rico as a State of the Union.
SEC. 3. RATIFICATION VOTE.
The State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico is authorized to
provide for a ratification vote on the admission of Puerto Rico into
the Union as a State, in accordance with rules and regulations
determined by the Commission, including qualifications for voter
eligibility, with the following on the ballot:
``As a State:
``(A) Puerto Rico would be permanently united to
the other States of the Union.
``(B) All provisions of the Constitution of the
United States that apply to the States would apply to
Puerto Rico.
``(C) Individuals born in Puerto Rico would be
United States citizens by virtue of the Constitution of
the United States, instead of by virtue of laws of the
United States.
``(D) Puerto Rico would be treated equally with the
other States in all Federal laws of general
application.
``(E) There would be a period of transition to
statehood, during which equal treatment of Puerto Rico
in program and tax laws would be phased in.
``(F) Puerto Rico would be represented in the
United States Senate by two Senators, in the United
States House of Representatives by a number of
Representatives in proportion to its share of the
national population (and the number of Members of the
House of Representatives would be increased by the same
number), and for the election of the President and the
Vice President of the United States by a number of
votes in the Electoral College equal to the number of
its Senators and Representatives.
``(G) The Government of Puerto Rico, like the
governments of the other States, would have permanent
authority over all matters not delegated to the Federal
Government or the people by the Constitution of the
United States.
Do you want Puerto Rico to be admitted as a State of the United
States? Yes__ No__''.
SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION.
(a) Presidential Action.--If a majority of votes cast in the
ratification vote held under section 3 are for the admission of Puerto
Rico as a State of the Union, the President, not later than 180 days
after the certification of the vote, shall submit to Congress
legislation to admit Puerto Rico as a State of the Union on an equal
footing with the several States in all respects, consistent with the
terms of this Act.
(b) Legislative Action.--If a majority of votes cast in the
ratification vote held under section 3 are for the admission of Puerto
Rico as a State of the Union, this Act constitutes a commitment by
Congress to act, through legislation, to admit Puerto Rico as a State
of the Union on an equal footing with the several States in all
respects, consistent with the terms of this Act.
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