,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bjbj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #ab1 
#bjad ,mr4 ,heinrich 7for himself and   
,mr4 ,wyden7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,energy and        
,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   
purposes  7a7  ,findings  ,congress     
finds that--  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 #aiag2  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 ,states2   
7#c7 the approximately #c1gjj1jjj       
residents of ,puerto ,rico do not have a
 democratic form of government at the   
national level1 because-- 7,a7 ,united  
,states citizens residing in the        
territory-- 7i7 are disenfranchised in  
the election for the ,president and the 
,vice ,president2 and  7ii7 are not     
represented in the ,united ,states      
,senate2 and  7,b7 the #a representative
 of ,united ,states citizens residing in
 the territory in the ,house of         
,representatives can only vote in       
committees of the ,house of             
,representatives2  7#d7 the ,federal    
,government may1 and often does1 treat  
,puerto ,rico and residents of ,puerto  
,rico unequally under ,federal program1 
tax1 and other laws relative to the     
several ,states and the ,district of    
,columbia and residents2  7#e7 7,a7 on  
,november #f1 #bjab1 the ,government of 
,puerto ,rico held a #b-part referendum2
  7,b7 the first question asked voters  

if ,puerto ,rico should continue to have
 its present form of territorial status2
 and  7,c7 of the #a1gih1ihg voters who 
chose an option1 #ec4ig percent voted   
against continued territorial status2   
7#f7 7,a7 the second question asked     
voters to express their preference among
 the #c possible alternatives to        
territorial status3 statehood1          
independence1 and nationhood in free    
association with the ,united ,states2   
and  7,b7 of the #a1cfc1hed voters who  
chose an option1 #fa4af percent voted   
for statehood2 and  7#g7 the number of  
votes cast in favor of statehood        
exceeded the number of votes cast in    
favor of continued territorial status4  
7b7  ,purposes  ,the purposes of this   
,act are-- 7#a7 to provide for a        
federally authorized ratification vote  
in ,puerto ,rico on the admission of    
,puerto ,rico into the ,union as a      
,state2 and  7#b7 if a majority of      
voters ratify the desire of ,puerto     
,rico 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-- 7i7 in the ,senate by #b  
,senators2  7ii7 in the ,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 number72 and  7iii7 for the    
election of the ,president and the ,vice
 ,president 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