,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bfj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #d1 #bjag   
,miss ,gonzlez-,coln of ,puerto ,rico   
introduced the following bill2 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 ,state1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this legislation may be cited as the   
,puerto ,rico ,admission ,act4  #b4     
,findings ,the ,congress finds the      
following3  7#a7 ,the territory of      
,puerto ,rico has a population of more  
than #c4d million1 and ,united ,states  
citizenship has been granted to         
individuals born in the islands for one 
hundred years4  7#b7 ,the territory has 
an insular government that1 subject to  
,federal law1 exercises authority       
similar to that possessed by the        
governments of the several ,states4     
7#c7 ,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  
assigned4  7#d7 ,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 laws4  7#e7 ,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  
nation4  7#f7 ,in a plebiscite held in  
,puerto ,rico under local law1 a        
majority of the vote rejected           
continuation of the current territory   
status1 with more than #fa4a percent    
petitioning the ,congress and the       

,president for statehood and a          
transition to equality and permanence   
within the ,union of ,states4  7#g7     
,public ,law #aac-gf 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 ,constitution1
 laws1 and policies of the ,united      
,states4  7#h7 ,the ,governor1          
two-thirds majorities of each house of  
the ,legislative ,assembly1 and the     
,resident ,commissioner of ,puerto ,rico
 elected in ,november #bjaf were voted  
into office on a platform of seeking    
equality and permanence for ,puerto     
,rico within the ,united ,states4  7#i7 
,puerto ,rico is treated as a ,state for
 the purposes of most laws but is not   
treated equally with the ,states under  
dozens of statutes1 including some      

providing for major health and other    
programs for individuals with critical  
needs and in a number of revenue        
measures4  7#aj7 ,the limitations of1   
and treatment under1 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 one4  7#aa7  
,millions of the ,u4,s4 citizens of     
,puerto ,rico have moved to a ,state for
 the greater opportunity and better way 
of life possible in a ,state4  7#ab7    
,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 democracy4  7#ac7 ,puerto    
,ricans have contributed greatly to the 
,nation in all fields of endeavor both  
in war and in peace4  7#ad7 ,puerto     
,rico should be transitioned into       
equality within the ,union4  #c4        
,process for replacing territory status 
7a7 ,consistent with ,public ,law       

#aac-gf1 it is the policy of the ,united
 ,states that the ,u4,s4 citizens of    
,puerto ,rico may choose whether ,puerto
 ,rico will become a ,state or a nation 
through a plebiscite under that law4    
7b7 ,if the ,u4,s4 citizens of ,puerto  
,rico reaffirm the territory's choice of
 statehood through a plebiscite under   
,public ,law #aac-gf1 ,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 #c1 #bjbe1 as shall be      
provided for in a plan submitted to the 
,congress and the ,president not later  
than #bgj days after the enactment of   
this ,act by the ,president's ,task     
,force on ,puerto ,rico's ,status1 and  
,puerto ,rico shall become a ,state on  
,january #c1 #bjbe4  #d4 ,federal       
offices  7a7 ,president and ,vice       
,president ,with respect to the election
 for the offices of ,president and ,vice

 ,president in ,november #bjbd-- 7#a7   
,puerto ,rico shall be considered a     
,state for purposes of chapter #ba of   
title #c1 ,united ,states ,code1 and the
 electors of ,puerto ,rico shall be     
considered electors of a ,state for     
purposes of such chapter2 and  7#b7 for 
purposes of section #c of such title1   
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 ,congress1 as 
determined in accordance with subsection
 7b74  7b7 ,congressional delegation    
7#a7 ,representatives ,effective on the 
first day of the ,one ,hundred          
,nineteenth ,congress1 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 #bjbj decennial census and 
the additional seats shall be occupied  

by ,representatives of ,puerto ,rico4   
,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 #c1 #bjbd4  7#b7         
,election ,the regularly scheduled      
general elections for ,federal office   
held in ,puerto ,rico in ,november #bjbd
 shall include the election of two      
,senators and the number of             
,representatives of ,puerto ,rico       
provided for in paragraph 7#a7 of this  
subsection1 all of whom shall first take
 office on ,january #c1 #bjbe4 ,the     
,senate shall determine the class to    
which each of the ,senators shall be    
assigned4  7#c7 ,resident commissioner  
,section #cf of the ,act of ,march #b1  
#aiag1 #ci ,stat4 #ifc1 and section #a  
of the ,act of ,june #bb1 #aijf1 #cd    
,stat4 #dag1 as amended1 are repealed   

effective ,january #c1 #bjbe4  7#d7     
,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 provide1 so long as such      
elections are held in the manner        
required by the laws applicable to      
elections for ,federal office4  #e4     
,proclamation ,following the transition 
process set forth in section #c1 the    
,president shall issue a proclamation   
declaring that ,puerto ,rico is admitted
 into the ,union on an equal footing    
with the other ,states1 effective       
,january #c1 #bjbe1 and ,puerto ,rico   
shall be so admitted4  #f4 ,state ,upon 
the admission of ,puerto ,rico into the 
,union as a ,state-- 7a7 ,state         
constitution ,the ,constitution of the  
,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico shall be 
accepted as the ,constitution of the    
,state4  7b7 ,territory ,the ,state     
shall consist of all of the territory1  
together with the waters included in the

 seaward boundary1 of the ,commonwealth 
of ,puerto ,rico4  7c7 ,continuity of   
government ,the individuals holding     
legislative1 executive1 and judicial    
offices of the ,commonwealth of ,puerto 
,rico shall continue to discharge the   
duties of their respective offices4  7d7
 ,continuity of laws  7#a7 ,territory   
law ,all of the laws of ,puerto ,rico   
shall continue in force and effect in   
the ,state1 except as may be modified   
consistent with this ,act1 and shall be 
subject to repeal or amendment by the   
,legislative ,assembly and the ,governor
 of the sovereign ,state of ,puerto     
,rico4  7#b7 ,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 ,state1 except for any      
provision of law that treats ,puerto    
,rico and its residents differently than
 the ,states of the ,union and their    
residents1 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 residents4