,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ijj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,february #g1        
#bjag,mr4 ,gutirrez introduced the      
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,natural ,resources   
,a ,,bill  ,to recognize ,puerto ,rico's
 sovereign nationhood under either      
independence or free association and to 
provide for a transition process1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,findings      
,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,in 
order to ensure the legitimate interests
 of ,puerto ,rico and the ,united       
,states1 ,congress should recognize     
,puerto ,rico as a sovereign nation4    
7#b7 ,consistent with article ,,iv1     
section #c of the ,constitution1 only   
,congress has the power to dispose of   
and make all needful rules and          
regulations respecting ,puerto ,rico4   
7#c7 ,puerto ,rico's territorial        
condition constitutes an unsustainable  
status of political subordination4  7#d7
 ,annexation of ,puerto ,rico as a      

,state of the ,union would be           
detrimental to both ,puerto ,rico and   
the ,united ,states4  7#e7 ,a majority  
of the voters rejected the continuation 
of territorial status in the referendum 
on the political status of ,puerto ,rico
 held in ,puerto ,rico on ,november #f1 
#bjab4  7#f7 ,the people of ,puerto     
,rico should1 through participation in a
 referendum vote on the future status of
 ,puerto ,rico1 choose between          
independence or free association4  7#g7 
,congress should dispose of the         
territory of ,puerto ,rico1 recognize   
its sovereign nationhood1 and provide   
for an appropriate transition process to
 take place under independence or under 
a compact of free association with the  
,united ,states1 in harmony with the    
results of the vote expressed by the    
,people of ,puerto ,rico in the         
referendum4  #b4 ,referendum  7a7 ,in   
general ,the ,legislative ,assembly of  
,puerto ,rico shall provide for a       
referendum to take place in ,puerto     

,rico1 in which eligible voters shall   
express their preference between the    
non-territorial options of either       
independence or free association1 as    
herein provided4  7b7 ,eligible voters  
,an individual shall be eligible to vote
 in the referendum held under this ,act 
if that individual-- 7#a7 was born in   
,puerto ,rico2 or  7#b7 has a parent who
 was born in ,puerto ,rico4  7c7        
,independence  7#a7 ,authorization to   
negotiate treaty ,the ,president shall  
negotiate a ,treaty of ,friendship and  
,cooperation and other bilateral        
agreements with the government of an    
independent ,puerto ,rico that will     
provide for equitable economic relations
 between both nations4  7#b7 ,treaty of 
,friendship and ,cooperation ,the       
,treaty of ,friendship and ,cooperation 
shall establish the details of the      
bilateral relations of ,puerto ,rico and
 the ,united ,states under the          
guidelines set forth below3  7,a7       
,citizenship ,puerto ,ricans shall      

become citizens of the ,republic of     
,puerto ,rico4 ,united ,states          
citizenship shall be guaranteed to all  
,puerto ,rican citizens who choose to   
retain their ,united ,states citizenship
 after the proclamation of ,puerto      
,rico's independence4 ,those born       
thereafter may acquire non-immigrant    
status1 dual or reciprocal ,united      
,states citizenship as provided by law1 
or as otherwise agreed by treaty1 so    
that their freedom to travel to and from
 the ,united ,states and to live and    
work there shall not be impaired4  7,b7 
,vested ,rights ,veterans benefits1     
,federal pensions1 and full ,social     
,security rights1 as well as any other  
vested rights and benefits under the    
laws of the ,united ,states are hereby  
guaranteed to citizens of ,puerto ,rico 
until the normal expiration of such     
benefits2 provided that all necessary   
agreements to protect the rights of     
workers who acquire permanently insured 
status during #e years following the    

proclamation of ,puerto ,rico's         
independence1 but are not yet           
beneficiaries under the ,old-,age1      
,survivors1 and ,disability ,insurance  
,benefits program under title ,,ii of   
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #dja et seq471 shall be       
established2 further provided that all  
contributions made by those who have not
 yet achieved permanently insured status
 at the time of ,puerto ,rico's         
independence shall then be transferred1 
with interest1 to the government of     
,puerto ,rico1 in order to assist in the
 establishment of a separate system of  
social insurance4  7,c7 ,trade ,the     
,united ,states shall eliminate trade   
barriers with ,puerto ,rico1 provided   
that limitations on imports or exports  
agreed upon by both nations shall ensure
 mutual benefits and assist each nation 
in meeting its trade and economic       
development objectives4  7,d7 ,public   
,debt and ,economic ,transition ,as     
partial indemnity for more than #aah    

years of political and economic         
subordination1 during which the total   
payment of interest earnings and        
dividends from ,puerto ,rico to ,united 
,states corporations have far exceeded  
net transfers of ,federal assistance to 
both the government and the residents of
 ,puerto ,rico1 the ,united ,states     
shall enter into negotiations with      
,puerto ,rico to restructure the        
outstanding debts and obligations of the
 government of the ,commonwealth of     
,puerto ,rico and its instrumentalities4
 ,moreover1 during a transition period1 
an independent ,puerto ,rico shall      
receive annual transfer block grants    
equal to the total amount of grants1    
programs1 and services currently        
provided by the ,federal ,government in 
,puerto ,rico1 adjusted for inflation1  
for a period to be negotiated to take   
place immediately following the joint   
proclamation of ,puerto ,rico's         
independence4  7,e7 ,currency ,if so    
requested by ,puerto ,rico1 both nations

 shall make the necessary arrangements  
with respect to the use of ,united      
,states currency by the ,republic of    
,puerto ,rico4  7,f7 ,defense ,the      
,united ,states and the ,republic of    
,puerto ,rico shall enter into          
agreements leading to the complete      
demilitarization of the ,republic of    
,puerto ,rico1 and the devolution and   
decontamination of any real estate      
previously held by any branch of the    
,armed ,forces4  7d7 ,free association  
7#a7 ,authorization to negotiate compact
 ,to provide a process consonant with   
the laws and policies of the ,united    
,states and in accordance with          
principles of international law1 the    
,president shall negotiate the terms for
 a ,compact of ,free ,association with  
the government of ,puerto ,rico which1  
prior to the territory's recognition and
 proclamation of sovereignty1 shall     
establish the terms of the association4 
7#b7 ,compact of ,free ,association ,the
 ,compact of ,free ,association between 

the ,united ,states and ,puerto ,rico   
shall be submitted to ,congress and the 
,people of ,puerto ,rico for            
ratification under the agreed guidelines
 set forth below3  7,a7 ,puerto ,rico as
 sovereign state ,international legal   
personality of ,puerto ,rico as a       
sovereign state4  7,b7 ,self-government 
,full self-government not subject to the
 ,constitution or laws of the ,united   
,states1 except for those specific      
powers delegated to the ,united ,states 
and which are subject to revocation by  
,puerto ,rico4  7,c7 ,termination of    
free association ,the right of ,puerto  
,rico and of the ,united ,states to     
unilaterally put an end to the          
relationship of free association and    
,puerto ,rico becoming fully            
independent4  7,d7 ,united ,states      
citizenship ,the continuation of ,united
 ,states citizenship for the citizens of
 ,puerto ,rico4  7,e7 ,trade relations  
,the continuation of existing trade     
relations with the ,united ,states and  

an agreed upon level of participation by
 residents of ,puerto ,rico in ,federal 
economic and social assistance programs4