,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aife  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #bh1 #bjai,mr4
 ,soto 7for himself and ,miss           
,gonzlez-,coln of ,puerto ,rico7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,natural 
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to set forth the
 terms for the admission of the         
territory of ,puerto ,rico as a ,state  
of the ,union4  #a4 ,short title ,this  
,act may be cited as the ,puerto ,rico  
,admission ,act4  #b4 ,findings         
,congress finds that--  7#a7 the duly   
elected legislature of ,puerto ,rico    
passed legislation to hold a plebiscite 
on the status of ,puerto ,rico1 which   
was enacted on ,june #aa1 #bjag2  7#b7  
in that plebiscite1 voters were given   
choices3 ,statehood1 ,free              
,association_/,independence1 ,current   
,territorial ,status2  7#c7 that        
plebiscite was duly noticed and held on 
,june #aa1 #bjag in accordance with all 
,puerto ,rico and ,federal laws2  7#d7  

that plebiscite was satisfactorily      
observed by a bipartisan ,congressional 
,delegation of ,representative ,don     
,young and ,representative ,darren      
,soto2 and  7#e7 #ig4b percent of votes 
favored ,statehood4  #c4 ,purpose ,the  
purpose of the ,act is to set forth the 
terms for the admission of the territory
 of ,puerto ,rico as a ,state of the    
,union4  #d4 ,admission into the union  
7a7 ,in general ,subject to the         
provisions of this ,act1 upon issuance  
of the proclamation required by section 
#e1 the ,state of ,puerto ,rico is      
declared to be a ,state of the ,united  
,states of ,america1 and is declared    
admitted into the ,union on an equal    
footing with the other ,states in all   
respects whatever4  7b7 ,constitution of
 ,state ,the ,state ,constitution shall 
always be republican in form and shall  
not be repugnant to the ,united ,states 
,constitution and the principles of the 
,declaration of ,independence4 ,the     
current ,puerto ,rico ,constitution is  

deemed to be republican in form and in  
conformity with the ,united ,states     
,constitution and is hereby accepted as 
the constitution of the ,state of       
,puerto ,rico4  #e4 ,issuance of        
presidential proclamation  7a7 ,in      
general ,not later than #ij days after  
enactment of this ,act1 the ,president  
shall issue a proclamation announcing   
that ,puerto ,rico is admitted into the 
,union on equal footing with other      
,states in all respects4  7b7 ,admission
 of ,state upon issuance of proclamation
 ,upon the issuance of the proclamation 
under subsection 7a71 the ,state shall  
be deemed admitted into the ,union as   
provided in section #d4  #f4 ,state of  
,puerto ,rico ,upon the admission of    
,puerto ,rico into the ,union as a      
,state1 the following apply3 7#a7       
,territory ,the newly admitted ,state of
 ,puerto ,rico shall consist of all its 
islands1 together with the appurtenant  
reefs and territorial waters in the     
seaward boundary1 presently under the   

jurisdiction of the territory of ,puerto
 ,rico4  7#b7 ,continuity of government 
,persons holding executive1 legislative1
 and judicial offices in the ,government
 of ,puerto ,rico shall continue to     
discharge the duties of their respective
 offices consistent with the ,united    
,states ,constitution1 ,federal laws    
applicable to ,puerto ,rico1 the ,puerto
 ,rico ,constitution1 and the laws of   
the ,state of ,puerto ,rico4  7#c7      
,continuity of laws  7,a7 ,territory law
 ,all of the territory laws in force in 
,puerto ,rico on the date of the        
enactment of this ,act shall-- 7i7      
continue in force and effect in the     
,state1 except as modified by this ,act2
 and  7ii7 be subject to repeal or      
amendment by the legislature and the    
,governor 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     
7#d7 ,united ,states citizenship ,no    
provision of this ,act shall operate to 
confer ,united ,states citizenship1 nor 
terminate citizenship hereto lawfully   
acquired1 nor restore citizenship       
terminated or lost under any law of the 
,united ,states or under any treaty to  
which the ,united ,states is or was a   
party4  #g4 ,severability ,if any       
provision of this ,act1 or any section1 
subsection1 sentence1 clause1 phrase1 or
 individual word1 or the application    
thereof to any person or circumstance is
 held invalid1 the validity of the      
remainder of the ,act and of the        
application of any such provision1      

section1 subsection1 sentence1 clause1  
phrase1 or individual word to other     
persons and circumstances shall not be  
affected thereby4