I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5526 
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 
DECEMBER 19, 2019 
Mr. SAN NICOLAS (for himself, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. SABLAN) 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 rep-
resent American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the 
Virgin Islands of the United States, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Territorial Representa-
tion in the Senate Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DELEGATE TO SENATE FROM EACH TERRITORY. 
Each Territory shall be represented in the United 
States Congress by a Delegate to the United States Sen-
ate. The Delegate shall be a nonvoting Delegate in the 
Senate, elected as provided in this Act. 
SEC. 3. ELECTION OF DELEGATE. 
(a) ELECTORS AND TIME OF ELECTION.—The Dele-
gate for a Territory shall be elected— 
(1) by the people qualified to vote for the popu-
larly elected officials of the Territory; 
(2) at the first Federal general election occur-
ring at least one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act and at each Federal general elec-
tion every 6 years thereafter; and 
(3) at a special election, if required due to a 
mid-term permanent vacancy. 
(b) MANNER OF ELECTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Delegate shall be elect-
ed at large and by a plurality of the votes cast for 
the office of Delegate. 
(2) EFFECT OF ESTABLISHMENT OF PRIMARY 
ELECTIONS.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the 
Government of the Territory, acting pursuant to leg-
islation enacted in accordance with the Constitution 
of the Territory, provides for primary elections for 
the election of the Delegate, the Delegate shall be 
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elected by a majority of the votes cast in any general 
election for the office of Delegate for which such pri-
mary elections were held. 
(c) VACANCY.—In case of a permanent vacancy in the 
office of Delegate, the office of Delegate shall remain va-
cant until a successor is elected and qualified. 
(d) COMMENCEMENT OF TERM.—The term of the 
Delegate shall commence on the 3d day of January fol-
lowing the date of the election. 
SEC. 4. QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE OF DELEGATE. 
To be eligible for the office of Delegate a candidate 
shall— 
(1) be at least 30 years of age on the date of 
the election; 
(2) have been a citizen of the United States for 
at least 9 years prior to the date of the election; 
(3) be a resident and domiciliary of the Terri-
tory prior to the date of the election for a period to 
be determined by the Government of the Territory; 
(4) be qualified to vote in the Territory on the 
date of the election; and 
(5) not be, on the date of the election, a can-
didate for any other office. 
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SEC. 5. DETERMINATION OF ELECTION PROCEDURE. 
Acting pursuant to legislation enacted in accordance 
with the Constitution of the Territory, the Government of 
the Territory may determine— 
(1) the order of names on the ballot for election 
of Delegate; 
(2) the method by which a special election to fill 
a permanent vacancy in the office of Delegate shall 
be conducted; 
(3) the method by which ties between can-
didates for the office of Delegate shall be resolved; 
and 
(4) all other matters of local application per-
taining to the election and the office of Delegate not 
otherwise expressly provided for in this Act. 
SEC. 6. COMPENSATION, PRIVILEGES, AND IMMUNITIES. 
Until the Rules of the Senate are amended to provide 
otherwise, the Delegate from the Territory shall receive 
the same compensation, allowances, and benefits as a 
Member of the Senate, and shall be entitled to whatever 
privileges and immunities are, or hereinafter may be, 
granted to any other member of the Senate, except that 
a Delegate shall be nonvoting on final Senate votes. 
SEC. 7. DEFINITION. 
For purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘Territory’’ 
means, individually, American Samoa, the Commonwealth 
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of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and 
the Virgin Islands of the United States. 
Æ 
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