I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1965 

To set forth the terms for the admission of the territory of Puerto Rico 

as a State of the Union. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 28, 2019 

Mr. SOTO (for himself and Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N of Puerto Rico) introduced 

the following bill; 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 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 Admission 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 

8 (1) the duly elected legislature of Puerto Rico 

9 passed legislation to hold a plebiscite on the status 


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1 of Puerto Rico, which was enacted on June 11, 

2 2017; 

3 (2) in that plebiscite, voters were given choices: 

4 Statehood, Free Association/Independence, Current 

5 Territorial Status; 

6 (3) that plebiscite was duly noticed and held on 

7 June 11, 2017 in accordance with all Puerto Rico 

8 and Federal laws; 

9 (4) that plebiscite was satisfactorily observed by 

10 a bipartisan Congressional Delegation of Represent11 ative Don Young and Representative Darren Soto; 

12 and 

13 (5) 97.2 percent of votes favored Statehood. 

14 SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 

15 The purpose of the Act is to set forth the terms for 

16 the admission of the territory of Puerto Rico as a State 

17 of the Union. 

18 SEC. 4. ADMISSION INTO THE UNION. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the provisions of this 

20 Act, upon issuance of the proclamation required by section 

21 5, the State of Puerto Rico is declared to be a State of 

22 the United States of America, and is declared admitted 

23 into the Union on an equal footing with the other States 

24 in all respects whatever. 


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1 (b) CONSTITUTION OF STATE.—The State Constitu2 tion shall always be republican in form and shall not be 

3 repugnant to the United States Constitution and the prin4 ciples of the Declaration of Independence. The current 

5 Puerto Rico Constitution is deemed to be republican in 

6 form and in conformity with the United States Constitu7 tion and is hereby accepted as the constitution of the State 

8 of Puerto Rico. 

9 SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after en11 actment of this Act, the President shall issue a proclama12 tion announcing that Puerto Rico is admitted into the 

13 Union on equal footing with other States in all respects. 

14 (b) ADMISSION OF STATE UPON ISSUANCE OF PROC15 LAMATION.—Upon the issuance of the proclamation under 

16 subsection (a), the State shall be deemed admitted into 

17 the Union as provided in section 4. 

18 SEC. 6. STATE OF PUERTO RICO. 

19 Upon the admission of Puerto Rico into the Union 

20 as a State, the following apply: 

21 (1) TERRITORY.—The newly admitted State of 

22 Puerto Rico shall consist of all its islands, together 

23 with the appurtenant reefs and territorial waters in 

24 the seaward boundary, presently under the jurisdic25 tion of the territory of Puerto Rico. 


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1 (2) CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT.—Persons 

2 holding executive, legislative, and judicial offices in 

3 the Government of Puerto Rico shall continue to dis4 charge the duties of their respective offices con5 sistent with the United States Constitution, Federal 

6 laws applicable to Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Con7 stitution, and the laws of the State of Puerto Rico. 

8 (3) CONTINUITY OF LAWS.— 

9 (A) TERRITORY LAW.—All of the territory 

10 laws in force in Puerto Rico on the date of the 

11 enactment of this Act shall— 

12 (i) continue in force and effect in the 

13 State, except as modified by this Act; and 

14 (ii) be subject to repeal or amendment 

15 by the legislature and the Governor of 

16 Puerto Rico. 

17 (B) FEDERAL LAW.—All of the laws of the 

18 United States shall have the same force and ef19 fect as on the date immediately prior to the 

20 date of admission of Puerto Rico into the Union 

21 as a State, except for any provision of law that 

22 treats Puerto Rico and its residents differently 

23 than the States of the Union and their resi24 dents, which shall be amended as of the date of 

25 admission to treat the State of Puerto Rico and 


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1 its residents equally with the other States of the 

2 Union and their residents. 

3 (4) UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP.—No provi4 sion of this Act shall operate to confer United States 

5 citizenship, nor terminate citizenship hereto lawfully 

6 acquired, nor restore citizenship terminated or lost 

7 under any law of the United States or under any 

8 treaty to which the United States is or was a party. 

9 SEC. 7. SEVERABILITY. 

10 If any provision of this Act, or any section, sub11 section, sentence, clause, phrase, or individual word, or the 

12 application thereof to any person or circumstance is held 

13 invalid, the validity of the remainder of the Act and of 

14 the application of any such provision, section, subsection, 

15 sentence, clause, phrase, or individual word to other per16 sons and circumstances shall not be affected thereby. 

Æ 


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