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. ROS- 
LEHTINEN, 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 Flor-
ida, 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Puerto Rico Status 
Resolution Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) In 1898, Puerto Rico became a United 
States territory and persons born in Puerto Rico 
have been granted United States citizenship by law 
since March 2, 1917. 
(2) Puerto Rico has been granted authority 
over local matters that is similar to the authority 
that the several States possess, but Puerto Rico re-
mains subject to the powers of Congress under the 
Territory Clause of the Constitution of the United 
States. 
(3) The approximately 3,700,000 residents of 
Puerto Rico do not have a democratic form of gov-
ernment at the national level, because United States 
citizens residing in the territory are disenfranchised 
in the election for the President and the Vice Presi-
dent of the United States, are not represented in the 
United States Senate, and their one representative 
in the United States House of Representatives can 
only vote in committees of the United States House 
of Representatives. 
(4) The Federal Government may—and often 
does—treat Puerto Rico and its residents unequally 
under Federal program, tax, and other laws relative 
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to the several States and the District of Columbia 
and their residents. 
(5) On November 6, 2012, the Government of 
Puerto Rico held a two-part referendum. The first 
question asked voters if Puerto Rico ‘‘should con-
tinue to have its present form of territorial status’’. 
Of the 1,798,987 voters who chose an option, 53.97 
percent voted against continued territorial status. 
(6) The second question asked voters to express 
their preference among the three possible alter-
natives to territorial status: statehood, independence, 
and nationhood in free association with the United 
States. Of the 1,363,854 voters who chose an option, 
61.16 percent voted for statehood. 
(7) The number of votes cast in favor of state-
hood exceeded the number of votes cast in favor of 
continued territorial status. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to provide 
for a federally authorized ratification vote in Puerto Rico 
on the admission of Puerto Rico into the Union as a State 
and, if a majority of voters ratify Puerto Rico’s desire for 
statehood, to describe the steps that the President and 
Congress shall take to enable the admission of Puerto Rico 
as a State of the Union. 
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SEC. 3. RATIFICATION VOTE. 
The State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico is 
authorized to provide for a ratification vote on the admis-
sion of Puerto Rico into the Union as a State, in accord-
ance with rules and regulations determined by the Com-
mission, including qualifications for voter eligibility, with 
the following on the ballot: 
‘‘As a State: 
‘‘(A) Puerto Rico would be permanently 
united to the other States of the Union. 
‘‘(B) All provisions of the Constitution of 
the United States that apply to the States 
would apply to Puerto Rico. 
‘‘(C) Individuals born in Puerto Rico 
would be United States citizens by virtue of the 
Constitution of the United States, instead of by 
virtue of laws of the United States. 
‘‘(D) Puerto Rico would be treated equally 
with the other States in all Federal laws of gen-
eral application. 
‘‘(E) There would be a period of transition 
to statehood, during which equal treatment of 
Puerto Rico in program and tax laws would be 
phased in. 
‘‘(F) Puerto Rico would be represented in 
the United States Senate by two Senators, in 
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(b) LEGISLATIVE ACTION.—If a majority of votes 
cast in the ratification vote held under section 3 are for 
the admission of Puerto Rico as a State of the Union, 
this Act constitutes a commitment by Congress to act, 
through legislation, to admit Puerto Rico as a State of 
the Union on an equal footing with the several States in 
all respects, consistent with the terms of this Act. 
Æ 
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