,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bjjj ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #ae1 #bjac ,mr4 ,pierluisi 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,hoyer1 ,mr4 ,young of ,alaska1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 ,mr4 ,king of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,george ,miller of ,california1 ,ms4 ,ros-,lehtinen1 ,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz1 ,mr4 ,rangel1 ,mr4 ,waxman1 ,ms4 ,kaptur1 ,mr4 ,engel1 ,mr4 ,faleomavaega1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,brown of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,mica1 ,mr4 ,hastings of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,fattah1 ,mr4 ,kind1 ,mr4 ,crowley1 ,mr4 ,diaz-,balart1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,ms4 ,bordallo1 ,mr4 ,ellison1 ,ms4 ,castor of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,fudge1 ,mr4 ,schock1 ,mr4 ,sablan1 ,mr4 ,deutch1 ,mr4 ,polis1 ,mr4 ,grayson1 ,ms4 ,wilson of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,garcia1 and ,ms4 ,shea-,porter7 introduced the following bill2 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 ,union4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,puerto ,rico ,status ,resolution ,act4 #b4 ,findings and purpose 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,in #ahih1 ,puerto ,rico became a ,united ,states territory and persons born in ,puerto ,rico have been granted ,united ,states citizenship by law since ,march #b1 #aiag4 7#b7 ,puerto ,rico has been granted authority over local matters that is similar to the authority that the several ,states possess1 but ,puerto ,rico remains subject to the powers of ,congress under the ,territory ,clause of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states4 7#c7 ,the approximately #c1gjj1jjj residents of ,puerto ,rico do not have a democratic form of government at the national level1 because ,united ,states citizens residing in the territory are disenfranchised in the election for the ,president and the ,vice ,president of the ,united ,states1 are not represented in the ,united ,states ,senate1 and their one representative in the ,united ,states ,house of ,representatives can only vote in committees of the ,united ,states ,house of ,representatives4 7#d7 ,the ,federal ,government may--and often does--treat ,puerto ,rico and its residents unequally under ,federal program1 tax1 and other laws relative to the several ,states and the ,district of ,columbia and their residents4 7#e7 ,on ,november #f1 #bjab1 the ,government of ,puerto ,rico held a two-part referendum4 ,the first question asked voters if ,puerto ,rico should continue to have its present form of territorial status4 ,of the #a1gih1ihg voters who chose an option1 #ec4ig percent voted against continued territorial status4 7#f7 ,the second question asked voters to express their preference among the three possible alternatives to territorial status3 statehood1 independence1 and nationhood in free association with the ,united ,states4 ,of the #a1cfc1hed voters who chose an option1 #fa4af percent voted for statehood4 7#g7 ,the number of votes cast in favor of statehood exceeded the number of votes cast in favor of continued territorial status4 7b7 ,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 and1 if a majority of voters ratify ,puerto ,rico's desire for statehood1 to describe the steps that the ,president and ,congress shall take to enable the admission of ,puerto ,rico as a ,state of the ,union4 #c4 ,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 ,state1 in accordance with rules and regulations determined by the ,commission1 including qualifications for voter eligibility1 with the following on the ballot3 ,as a ,state3 7,a7 ,puerto ,rico would be permanently united to the other ,states of the ,union4 7,b7 ,all provisions of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states that apply to the ,states would apply to ,puerto ,rico4 7,c7 ,individuals born in ,puerto ,rico would be ,united ,states citizens by virtue of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states1 instead of by virtue of laws of the ,united ,states4 7,d7 ,puerto ,rico would be treated equally with the other ,states in all ,federal laws of general application4 7,e7 ,there would be a period of transition to statehood1 during which equal treatment of ,puerto ,rico in program and tax laws would be phased in4 7,f7 ,puerto ,rico would be represented in the ,united ,states ,senate by two ,senators1 in the ,united ,states ,house of ,representatives by a number of ,representatives in proportion to its share of the national population 7and the number of ,members of the ,house of ,representatives would be increased by the same number71 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 ,representatives4 7,g7 ,the ,government of ,puerto ,rico1 like the governments of the other ,states1 would have permanent authority over all matters not delegated to the ,federal ,government or the people by the ,constitution of the ,united ,states4 ,do you want ,puerto ,rico to be admitted as a ,state of the ,united ,states8 ,yes ,no 4 #d4 ,implementation 7a7 ,presidential action ,if a majority of votes cast in the ratification vote held under section #c are for the admission of ,puerto ,rico as a ,state of the ,union1 the ,president1 not later than #ahj days after the certification of the vote1 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 respects1 consistent with the terms of this ,act4 7b7 ,legislative action ,if a majority of votes cast in the ratification vote held under section #c are for the admission of ,puerto ,rico as a ,state of the ,union1 this ,act constitutes a commitment by ,congress to act1 through legislation1 to admit ,puerto ,rico as a ,state of the ,union on an equal footing with the several ,states in all respects1 consistent with the terms of this ,act4