I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5526 

To provide for a nonvoting delegate to the Senate to represent American 

Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, 

Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands of the United States, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2019 

Mr. SAN NICOLAS (for himself, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. SABLAN) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To provide for a nonvoting delegate to the Senate to represent American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the 

Virgin Islands of the United States, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Territorial Representa5 tion in the Senate Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DELEGATE TO SENATE FROM EACH TERRITORY. 

2 Each Territory shall be represented in the United 

3 States Congress by a Delegate to the United States Sen4 ate. The Delegate shall be a nonvoting Delegate in the 

5 Senate, elected as provided in this Act. 

6 SEC. 3. ELECTION OF DELEGATE. 

7 (a) ELECTORS AND TIME OF ELECTION.—The Dele8 gate for a Territory shall be elected— 

9 (1) by the people qualified to vote for the popu10 larly elected officials of the Territory; 

11 (2) at the first Federal general election occur12 ring at least one year after the date of the enact13 ment of this Act and at each Federal general elec14 tion every 6 years thereafter; and 

15 (3) at a special election, if required due to a 

16 mid-term permanent vacancy. 

17 (b) MANNER OF ELECTION.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Delegate shall be elect19 ed at large and by a plurality of the votes cast for 

20 the office of Delegate. 

21 (2) EFFECT OF ESTABLISHMENT OF PRIMARY

22 ELECTIONS.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the 

23 Government of the Territory, acting pursuant to leg24 islation enacted in accordance with the Constitution 

25 of the Territory, provides for primary elections for 

26 the election of the Delegate, the Delegate shall be 


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1 elected by a majority of the votes cast in any general 

2 election for the office of Delegate for which such pri3 mary elections were held. 

4 (c) VACANCY.—In case of a permanent vacancy in the 

5 office of Delegate, the office of Delegate shall remain va6 cant until a successor is elected and qualified. 

7 (d) COMMENCEMENT OF TERM.—The term of the 

8 Delegate shall commence on the 3d day of January fol9 lowing the date of the election. 

10 SEC. 4. QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE OF DELEGATE. 

11 To be eligible for the office of Delegate a candidate 

12 shall— 

13 (1) be at least 30 years of age on the date of 

14 the election; 

15 (2) have been a citizen of the United States for 

16 at least 9 years prior to the date of the election; 

17 (3) be a resident and domiciliary of the Terri18 tory prior to the date of the election for a period to 

19 be determined by the Government of the Territory; 

20 (4) be qualified to vote in the Territory on the 

21 date of the election; and 

22 (5) not be, on the date of the election, a can23 didate for any other office. 


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1 SEC. 5. DETERMINATION OF ELECTION PROCEDURE. 

2 Acting pursuant to legislation enacted in accordance 

3 with the Constitution of the Territory, the Government of 

4 the Territory may determine— 

5 (1) the order of names on the ballot for election 

6 of Delegate; 

7 (2) the method by which a special election to fill 

8 a permanent vacancy in the office of Delegate shall 

9 be conducted; 

10 (3) the method by which ties between can11 didates for the office of Delegate shall be resolved; 

12 and 

13 (4) all other matters of local application per14 taining to the election and the office of Delegate not 

15 otherwise expressly provided for in this Act. 

16 SEC. 6. COMPENSATION, PRIVILEGES, AND IMMUNITIES. 

17 Until the Rules of the Senate are amended to provide 

18 otherwise, the Delegate from the Territory shall receive 

19 the same compensation, allowances, and benefits as a 

20 Member of the Senate, and shall be entitled to whatever 

21 privileges and immunities are, or hereinafter may be, 

22 granted to any other member of the Senate, except that 

23 a Delegate shall be nonvoting on final Senate votes. 

24 SEC. 7. DEFINITION. 

25 For purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘Territory’’ 

26 means, individually, American Samoa, the Commonwealth 


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1 of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and 

2 the Virgin Islands of the United States. 

Æ 


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