I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2000 

To set forth the process for Puerto Rico to be admitted as a State of 

the Union. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 15, 2013 

Mr. PIERLUISI (for himself, Mr. HOYER, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. SERRANO, 

Mr. KING of New York, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Ms. ROSLEHTINEN, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. WAXMAN, Ms. 

KAPTUR, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Ms. NORTON, Ms. BROWN of 

Florida, Mr. MICA, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. KIND, 

Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. 

ELLISON, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. SCHOCK, Mr. 

SABLAN, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. POLIS, Mr. GRAYSON, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. GARCIA, and Ms. SHEA-PORTER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To set forth the process for Puerto Rico to be admitted 

as a State of the Union. 

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 ‘‘Puerto Rico Status 

5 Resolution Act’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) In 1898, Puerto Rico became a United 

4 States territory and persons born in Puerto Rico 

5 have been granted United States citizenship by law 

6 since March 2, 1917. 

7 (2) Puerto Rico has been granted authority 

8 over local matters that is similar to the authority 

9 that the several States possess, but Puerto Rico re10 mains subject to the powers of Congress under the 

11 Territory Clause of the Constitution of the United 

12 States. 

13 (3) The approximately 3,700,000 residents of 

14 Puerto Rico do not have a democratic form of gov15 ernment at the national level, because United States 

16 citizens residing in the territory are disenfranchised 

17 in the election for the President and the Vice Presi18 dent of the United States, are not represented in the 

19 United States Senate, and their one representative 

20 in the United States House of Representatives can 

21 only vote in committees of the United States House 

22 of Representatives. 

23 (4) The Federal Government may—and often 

24 does—treat Puerto Rico and its residents unequally 

25 under Federal program, tax, and other laws relative 

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1 to the several States and the District of Columbia 

2 and their residents. 

3 (5) On November 6, 2012, the Government of 

4 Puerto Rico held a two-part referendum. The first 

5 question asked voters if Puerto Rico ‘‘should con6 tinue to have its present form of territorial status’’. 

7 Of the 1,798,987 voters who chose an option, 53.97 

8 percent voted against continued territorial status. 

9 (6) The second question asked voters to express 

10 their preference among the three possible alter11 natives to territorial status: statehood, independence, 

12 and nationhood in free association with the United 

13 States. Of the 1,363,854 voters who chose an option, 

14 61.16 percent voted for statehood. 

15 (7) The number of votes cast in favor of state16 hood exceeded the number of votes cast in favor of 

17 continued territorial status. 

18 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to provide 

19 for a federally authorized ratification vote in Puerto Rico 

20 on the admission of Puerto Rico into the Union as a State 

21 and, if a majority of voters ratify Puerto Rico’s desire for 

22 statehood, to describe the steps that the President and 

23 Congress shall take to enable the admission of Puerto Rico 

24 as a State of the Union. 

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1 SEC. 3. RATIFICATION VOTE. 

2 The State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico is 

3 authorized to provide for a ratification vote on the admis4 sion of Puerto Rico into the Union as a State, in accord5 ance with rules and regulations determined by the Com6 mission, including qualifications for voter eligibility, with 

7 the following on the ballot: 

8 ‘‘As a State: 

9 ‘‘(A) Puerto Rico would be permanently 

10 united to the other States of the Union. 

11 ‘‘(B) All provisions of the Constitution of 

12 the United States that apply to the States 

13 would apply to Puerto Rico. 

14 ‘‘(C) Individuals born in Puerto Rico 

15 would be United States citizens by virtue of the 

16 Constitution of the United States, instead of by 

17 virtue of laws of the United States. 

18 ‘‘(D) Puerto Rico would be treated equally 

19 with the other States in all Federal laws of gen20 eral application. 

21 ‘‘(E) There would be a period of transition 

22 to statehood, during which equal treatment of 

23 Puerto Rico in program and tax laws would be 

24 phased in. 

25 ‘‘(F) Puerto Rico would be represented in 

26 the United States Senate by two Senators, in 

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1 the United States House of Representatives by 

2 a number of Representatives in proportion to 

3 its share of the national population (and the 

4 number of Members of the House of Represent5 atives would be increased by the same number), 

6 and for the election of the President and the 

7 Vice President of the United States by a num8 ber of votes in the Electoral College equal to 

9 the number of its Senators and Representatives. 

10 ‘‘(G) The Government of Puerto Rico, like 

11 the governments of the other States, would 

12 have permanent authority over all matters not 

13 delegated to the Federal Government or the 

14 people by the Constitution of the United States. 

15 Do you want Puerto Rico to be admitted as a State 

16 of the United States? Yesll Noll’’. 

17 SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION. 

18 (a) PRESIDENTIAL ACTION.—If a majority of votes 

19 cast in the ratification vote held under section 3 are for 

20 the admission of Puerto Rico as a State of the Union, 

21 the President, not later than 180 days after the certifi22 cation of the vote, shall submit to Congress legislation to 

23 admit Puerto Rico as a State of the Union on an equal 

24 footing with the several States in all respects, consistent 

25 with the terms of this Act. 

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1 (b) LEGISLATIVE ACTION.—If a majority of votes 

2 cast in the ratification vote held under section 3 are for 

3 the admission of Puerto Rico as a State of the Union, 

4 this Act constitutes a commitment by Congress to act, 

5 through legislation, to admit Puerto Rico as a State of 

6 the Union on an equal footing with the several States in 

7 all respects, consistent with the terms of this Act. 

Æ 

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