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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 3715

To provide consultations for the development of Articles of Incorporation

for territories of the United States.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NOVEMBER 22, 1993

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Natural Resources

A BILL

To provide consultations for the development of Articles of

Incorporation for territories of the United States.

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

3 SECTION 1. ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION.

4 (a) FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.—

5 (1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—

6 (A) the United Nations General Assembly

7 has declared the 1990’s to be the International

8 Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism;
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1 (B) the United States is one of the remain2 ing administering powers responsible for the

3 evolution of self-government in territories;

4 (C) a territory may be considered

5 decolonized once incorporated into an admin6 istering power consistent with a freely expressed

7 act of self-determination of the people of the

8 territory;

9 (D) nearly 4,000,000 United States citi10 zens live in unincorporated territories in which

11 the United States Constitution has not been ex12 tended in full; and

13 (E) the citizenship of residents born in the

14 unincorporated United States territories is of a

15 subordinated nature without equal protection,

16 rights, and responsibilities of those born in the

17 several States.

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

19 provide for a process to enable the people of any

20 United States territory to become self-governing

21 with constitutional rights and responsibilities equal

22 to those of the citizens in the several States, through

23 consultation and working with the United States.

24 (b) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—Before the period ending

25 on December 31, 1998, a territory of the United States
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1 may develop, in consultation with the United States, and

2 submit to the Congress proposed Articles of Incorporation,

3 which shall include measures that lead to the political

4 empowerment of the United States citizens of the terri5 tory.

6 (c) APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL REPRESENTA7 TIVES.—At the request of a government of a territory of

8 the United States to discuss incorporation with the United

9 States of America, the President of the United States and

10 the Governor of the requesting territory may designate

11 special representatives to consult and develop in good

12 faith, Articles of Incorporation, with the United States.

13 (d) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—The proposed Arti14 cles of Incorporation and accompanying report of the con15 sultations shall be transmitted to the United States Con16 gress within one year after the appointment of the special

17 representatives, but not later than December 31, 1998.

18 (e) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term

19 ‘‘territory of the United States’’ includes the Territory of

20 American Samoa, the Territory of Guam, the Common21 wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Common22 wealth of Puerto Rico, and the Territory of the United

23 States Virgin Islands.

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