IB 

Union Calendar No. 164 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2499 

[Report No. 111–294] 

To provide for a federally sanctioned self-determination process for the people 

of Puerto Rico. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 19, 2009 

Mr. PIERLUISI (for himself, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. ARCURI, Mr. BAIRD, Ms. 

BERKLEY, Mr. BERMAN, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. BOUSTANY, Ms. CORRINE

BROWN of Florida, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. CARDOZA, Mr. CASTLE, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. 

CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. COSTA, Mr. CUELLAR, Mr. 

DELAHUNT, Mr. DENT, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. 

MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. 

FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. FARR, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. FLAKE, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. 

GERLACH, Mr. GRAYSON, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. HARE, Mr. 

HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. HOYER, Ms. 

JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. 

KENNEDY, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, Mr. KLEIN of 

Florida, Mr. KRATOVIL, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, 

Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California, Mr. MACK, Mr. MAFFEI, Ms. 

MARKEY of Colorado, Mr. MASSA, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. 

MICA, Mr. MOLLOHAN, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 

OLVER, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. PENCE, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. POLIS of Colorado, Mr. PUTNAM, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. REYES, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Ms. ROSLEHTINEN, Mr. SABLAN, Mr. SALAZAR, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Mr. SHULER, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. STARK, Mr. TAYLOR, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. TONKO, Mr. WALZ, Ms. 

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. WATSON, Mr. WATT, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. 

WESTMORELAND, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. WU, 

Mr. YARMUTH, and Mr. YOUNG of Alaska) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

OCTOBER 8, 2009 

Additional sponsors: Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. 


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•HR 2499 RH

CARTER, Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. PETERSON, Mr. 

KUCINICH, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. CULBERSON, Mr. CARSON of 

Indiana, Ms. SUTTON, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. PAUL, Mr. 

POSEY, Mr. AKIN, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. DICKS, Mr. KIND, Ms. 

SHEA-PORTER, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. SCHOCK, Mr. WELCH, Mr. BISHOP

of Utah, Mr. ROONEY, Mr. SIRES, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. 

MARCHANT, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. SPRATT, 

Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Ms. FALLIN, Mrs. MILLER of 

Michigan, Mr. CLAY, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. BILIRAKIS, 

Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. 

HEINRICH, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. CARNAHAN, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. 

FLEMING, Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. SCOTT of 

Virginia, Mr. MCCARTHY of California, Mr. NUNES, Mr. DRIEHAUS, Ms. 

CASTOR of Florida, Mr. BRALEY of Iowa, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. MCKEON, 

Mr. WALDEN, Ms. KOSMAS, Ms. PINGREE of Maine, Ms. TITUS, Mr. 

HIMES, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. WAMP, Mr. 

KLINE of Minnesota, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. TSONGAS, Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. HENSARLING, Mrs. 

BLACKBURN, Mr. CAMP, Mr. MEEK of Florida, Mr. BACA, Mr. CALVERT, 

Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 

TIERNEY, Mr. ISSA, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. CROWLEY, Mrs. DAHLKEMPER, Mr. 

BUCHANAN, Mr. TERRY, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. SERRANO, 

Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida, and 

Mr. SHADEGG

OCTOBER 8, 2009 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 19, 2009] 

A BILL 

To provide for a federally sanctioned self-determination 

process for the people of Puerto Rico. 


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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 Democracy 

5 Act of 2009’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FEDERALLY SANCTIONED PROCESS FOR PUERTO 

7 RICO’S SELF-DETERMINATION. 

8 (a) FIRST PLEBISCITE.—The Government of Puerto 

9 Rico is authorized to conduct a plebiscite in Puerto Rico. 

10 The 2 options set forth on the ballot shall be preceded by 

11 the following statement: ‘‘Instructions: Mark one of the fol12 lowing 2 options: 

13 ‘‘(1) Puerto Rico should continue to have its 

14 present form of political status. If you agree, mark 

15 here ll. 

16 ‘‘(2) Puerto Rico should have a different political 

17 status. If you agree, mark here ll.’’. 

18 (b) PROCEDURE IF MAJORITY IN FIRST PLEBISCITE

19 FAVORS OPTION 1.—If a majority of the ballots in the pleb20 iscite are cast in favor of Option 1, the Government of Puer21 to Rico is authorized to conduct additional plebiscites under 

22 subsection (a) at intervals of every 8 years from the date 

23 that the results of the prior plebiscite are certified under 

24 section 3(d). 


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1 (c) PROCEDURE IF MAJORITY IN FIRST PLEBISCITE

2 FAVORS OPTION 2.—If a majority of the ballots in a plebi3 scite conducted pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) are cast 

4 in favor of Option 2, the Government of Puerto Rico is au5 thorized to conduct a plebiscite on the following 3 options: 

6 (1) Independence: Puerto Rico should become 

7 fully independent from the United States. If you 

8 agree, mark here ll. 

9 (2) Sovereignty in Association with the United 

10 States: Puerto Rico and the United States should 

11 form a political association between sovereign nations 

12 that will not be subject to the Territorial Clause of the 

13 United States Constitution. If you agree, mark here 

14 ll. 

15 (3) Statehood: Puerto Rico should be admitted as 

16 a State of the Union. If you agree, mark here ll. 

17 SEC. 3. APPLICABLE LAWS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS. 

18 (a) APPLICABLE LAWS.—All Federal laws applicable 

19 to the election of the Resident Commissioner shall, as appro20 priate and consistent with this Act, also apply to any plebi21 scites held pursuant to this Act. Any reference in such Fed22 eral laws to elections shall be considered, as appropriate, 

23 to be a reference to the plebiscites, unless it would frustrate 

24 the purposes of this Act. 


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1 (b) RULES AND REGULATIONS.—The Puerto Rico 

2 State Elections Commission shall issue all rules and regula3 tions necessary to carry out the plebiscites under this Act. 

4 (c) ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE.—Each of the following shall 

5 be eligible to vote in any plebiscite held under this Act: 

6 (1) All eligible voters under the electoral laws in 

7 effect in Puerto Rico at the time the plebiscite is held. 

8 (2) All United States citizens born in Puerto 

9 Rico who comply, to the satisfaction of the Puerto 

10 Rico State Elections Commission, with all Commis11 sion requirements (other than the residency require12 ment) applicable to eligibility to vote in a general 

13 election in Puerto Rico. Persons eligible to vote under 

14 this subsection shall, upon timely request submitted to 

15 the Commission in compliance with any terms im16 posed by the Electoral Law of Puerto Rico, be entitled 

17 to receive an absentee ballot for the plebiscite. 

18 (d) CERTIFICATION OF PLEBISCITE RESULTS.—The 

19 Puerto Rico State Elections Commission shall certify the 

20 results of any plebiscite held under this Act to the President 

21 of the United States and to the Members of the Senate and 

22 House of Representatives of the United States. 

23 (e) ENGLISH BALLOTS.—The Puerto Rico State Elec24 tions Commission shall ensure that all ballots used for any 


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1 plebiscite held under this Act include the full content of the 

2 ballot printed in English. 

3 (f) PLEBISCITE COSTS.—All costs associated with any 

4 plebiscite held under this Act (including the printing, dis5 tribution, transportation, collection, and counting of all 

6 ballots) shall be paid for by the Commonwealth of Puerto 

7 Rico. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with BILLS

srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 164 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2499 

[Report No. 111–294] 

A BILL 

To provide for a federally sanctioned self-determination process for the people of Puerto Rico. 

OCTOBER 8, 2009 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with BILLS