[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 260 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 260

To enable the admission of the territory of Puerto Rico into the Union 
                  as a State, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2017

Miss Gonzalez-Colon of Puerto Rico introduced the following bill; which 
           was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To enable the admission of the territory of Puerto Rico into the Union 
                  as a State, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This legislation may be cited as the ``Puerto Rico Admission Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The territory of Puerto Rico has a population of more 
        than 3.4 million, and United States citizenship has been 
        granted to individuals born in the islands for one hundred 
        years.
            (2) The territory has an insular government that, subject 
        to Federal law, exercises authority similar to that possessed 
        by the governments of the several States.
            (3) The United States citizens of Puerto Rico are not 
        treated equally in Federal law with citizens in the States and 
        do not have representation in their national government other 
        than that provided by a sole resident commissioner who can only 
        vote in committees of the House of Representatives to which she 
        or he is assigned.
            (4) An overwhelming majority of the United States citizens 
        residing in Puerto Rico want to replace territory status with a 
        permanent form of government that provides for equality and for 
        democratic representation in the making of their national laws.
            (5) It has been the longstanding policy of the United 
        States that the American citizens of the territory can 
        determine whether it should eventually become a State or a 
        nation.
            (6) In a plebiscite held in Puerto Rico under local law, a 
        majority of the vote rejected continuation of the current 
        territory status, with more than 61.1 percent petitioning the 
        Congress and the President for statehood and a transition to 
        equality and permanence within the Union of States.
            (7) Public Law 113-76 responded to the plebiscite under 
        territorial law by providing for a plebiscite under Federal law 
        on an option or options proposed by the Elections Commission of 
        Puerto Rico that can resolve the question of the territory's 
        status and are found by the Department of Justice to not 
        conflict with the Constitution, laws, and policies of the 
        United States.
            (8) The Governor, two-thirds majorities of each house of 
        the Legislative Assembly, and the Resident Commissioner of 
        Puerto Rico elected in November 2016 were voted into office on 
        a platform of seeking equality and permanence for Puerto Rico 
        within the United States.
            (9) Puerto Rico is treated as a State for the purposes of 
        most laws but is not treated equally with the States under 
        dozens of statutes, including some providing for major health 
        and other programs for individuals with critical needs and in a 
        number of revenue measures.
            (10) The limitations of, and treatment under, territory 
        status has left Puerto Rico under-developed and substantially 
        contributed to its economy being weak for four decades and in 
        depression for the last one.
            (11) Millions of the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico have 
        moved to a State for the greater opportunity and better way of 
        life possible in a State.
            (12) Equality within the Nation is required for a healthy 
        American economy and essential for Puerto Rico's social and 
        economic health as well as for basic reasons of democracy.
            (13) Puerto Ricans have contributed greatly to the Nation 
        in all fields of endeavor both in war and in peace.
            (14) Puerto Rico should be transitioned into equality 
        within the Union.

SEC. 3. PROCESS FOR REPLACING TERRITORY STATUS.

    (a) Consistent with Public Law 113-76, it is the policy of the 
United States that the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico may choose whether 
Puerto Rico will become a State or a nation through a plebiscite under 
that law.
    (b) If the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico reaffirm the territory's 
choice of statehood through a plebiscite under Public Law 113-76, 
Federal laws that do not apply to Puerto Rico or apply differently to 
the territory than to the several States are amended or repealed to 
phase in the equal treatment of Puerto Rico with the several States by 
January 3, 2025, as shall be provided for in a plan submitted to the 
Congress and the President not later than 270 days after the enactment 
of this Act by the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status, and 
Puerto Rico shall become a State on January 3, 2025.

SEC. 4. FEDERAL OFFICES.

    (a) President and Vice President.--With respect to the election for 
the offices of President and Vice President in November 2024--
            (1) Puerto Rico shall be considered a State for purposes of 
        chapter 21 of title 3, United States Code, and the electors of 
        Puerto Rico shall be considered electors of a State for 
        purposes of such chapter; and
            (2) for purposes of section 3 of such title, the number of 
        electors from Puerto Rico shall be equal to the number of 
        Senators and Representatives to which Puerto Rico is entitled 
        during the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress, as determined in 
        accordance with subsection (b).
    (b) Congressional Delegation.--
            (1) Representatives.--Effective on the first day of the One 
        Hundred Nineteenth Congress, the number of Representatives of 
        States in the House of Representatives shall be increased by 
        the number of Representatives of the State with the population 
        closest to that of Puerto Rico in the 2020 decennial census and 
        the additional seats shall be occupied by Representatives of 
        Puerto Rico. The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall 
        transmit to the Governor of Puerto Rico and the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives a certificate of the number of 
        Representatives to which Puerto Rico will be entitled not later 
        than January 3, 2024.
            (2) Election.--The regularly scheduled general elections 
        for Federal office held in Puerto Rico in November 2024 shall 
        include the election of two Senators and the number of 
        Representatives of Puerto Rico provided for in paragraph (1) of 
        this subsection, all of whom shall first take office on January 
        3, 2025. The Senate shall determine the class to which each of 
        the Senators shall be assigned.
            (3) Resident commissioner.--Section 36 of the Act of March 
        2, 1917, 39 Stat. 963, and section 1 of the Act of June 22, 
        1906, 34 Stat. 417, as amended, are repealed effective January 
        3, 2025.
            (4) Primary elections.--The Government of Puerto Rico may 
        hold primary elections for the offices described in this 
        section at such time and in such manner as it may provide, so 
        long as such elections are held in the manner required by the 
        laws applicable to elections for Federal office.

SEC. 5. PROCLAMATION.

    Following the transition process set forth in section 3, the 
President shall issue a proclamation declaring that Puerto Rico is 
admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the other States, 
effective January 3, 2025, and Puerto Rico shall be so admitted.

SEC. 6. STATE.

    Upon the admission of Puerto Rico into the Union as a State--
     (a) State Constitution.--The Constitution of the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico shall be accepted as the Constitution of the State.
    (b) Territory.--The State shall consist of all of the territory, 
together with the waters included in the seaward boundary, of the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
    (c) Continuity of Government.--The individuals holding legislative, 
executive, and judicial offices of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 
shall continue to discharge the duties of their respective offices.
    (d) Continuity of Laws.--
            (1) Territory law.--All of the laws of Puerto Rico shall 
        continue in force and effect in the State, except as may be 
        modified consistent with this Act, and shall be subject to 
        repeal or amendment by the Legislative Assembly and the 
        Governor of the sovereign State of Puerto Rico.
            (2) Federal law.--All of the laws of the United States 
        shall have the same force and effect as on the date immediately 
        prior to the date of admission of Puerto Rico into the Union as 
        a State, except for any provision of law that treats Puerto 
        Rico and its residents differently than the States of the Union 
        and their residents, which shall be amended as of the date of 
        admission to treat the State of Puerto Rico and its residents 
        equally with the other States of the Union and their residents.
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