I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6941 

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 

MARCH 7, 2022 

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

PLASKETT) 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 (a) NONVOTING DELEGATE.—Subject to local legisla3 tive approval in accordance with subsection (b), each Ter4 ritory shall be represented in the United States Congress 

5 by a Delegate to the United States Senate. The Delegate 

6 shall be a nonvoting Delegate in the Senate, elected as 

7 provided in this Act. 

8 (b) LOCAL LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL.—The local leg9 islature of each Territory shall— 

10 (1) determine whether the Territory will be rep11 resented by a nonvoting delegate as authorized by 

12 this Act; and 

13 (2) establish such procedures as the legislature 

14 may deem appropriate to modify the determination 

15 described in paragraph (1). 

16 SEC. 3. ELECTION OF DELEGATE. 

17 (a) ELECTORS AND TIME OF ELECTION.—The Dele18 gate for a Territory shall be elected— 

19 (1) by the people qualified to vote for the popu20 larly elected officials of the Territory; 

21 (2) at the first Federal general election occur22 ring at least one year after the date of the enact23 ment of this Act and at each Federal general elec24 tion every 6 years thereafter; and 

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

26 mid-term permanent vacancy. 


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1 (b) MANNER OF ELECTION.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Delegate shall be elect3 ed at large and by a plurality of the votes cast for 

4 the office of Delegate. 

5 (2) EFFECT OF ESTABLISHMENT OF PRIMARY

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

7 Government of the Territory, acting pursuant to leg8 islation enacted in accordance with the Constitution 

9 or Organic Act of the Territory, provides for pri10 mary elections for the election of the Delegate, the 

11 Delegate shall be elected by a majority of the votes 

12 cast in any general election for the office of Delegate 

13 for which such primary elections were held. 

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

15 office of Delegate, the office of Delegate shall remain va16 cant until a successor is elected and qualified. 

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

18 Delegate shall commence on the 3rd day of January fol19 lowing the date of the election. 

20 SEC. 4. QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE OF DELEGATE. 

21 To be eligible for the office of Delegate a candidate 

22 shall— 

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

24 the election; 


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

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

3 (3) be a resident and domiciliary of the Terri4 tory prior to the date of the election for a period to 

5 be determined by the Government of the Territory; 

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

7 date of the election; and 

8 (5) not be, on the date of the election, a can9 didate for any other office. 

10 SEC. 5. DETERMINATION OF ELECTION PROCEDURE. 

11 Acting pursuant to legislation enacted in accordance 

12 with the Constitution or Organic Act of the Territory, the 

13 Government of the Territory may determine— 

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

15 of Delegate; 

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

17 a permanent vacancy in the office of Delegate shall 

18 be conducted; 

19 (3) the method by which ties between can20 didates for the office of Delegate shall be resolved; 

21 and 

22 (4) all other matters of local application per23 taining to the election and the office of Delegate not 

24 otherwise expressly provided for in this Act. 


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

2 Until the Rules of the Senate are amended to provide 

3 otherwise, the Delegate from the Territory shall receive 

4 the same compensation, allowances, and benefits as a 

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

6 privileges and immunities are, or hereinafter may be, 

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

8 a Delegate shall be nonvoting on final Senate votes. 

9 SEC. 7. DEFINITION. 

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

11 means, individually, American Samoa, the Commonwealth 

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

13 the Virgin Islands of the United States. 

Æ 


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