I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1977
To provide for a nonvoting delegate to the House of Representatives to
represent the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 23, 2001
Mr. UNDERWOOD (for himself and Mr. SCHAFFER) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To provide for a nonvoting delegate to the House of Rep-
resentatives to represent the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands.
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 ‘‘Northern Marianas
Delegate Act’’.
SEC. 2. DELEGATE TO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM
COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MAR-
IANA ISLANDS.
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
shall be represented in the United States Congress by the
Resident Representative to the United States authorized
by section 901 of the Covenant to Establish a Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union
with the United States of America (approved by Public
Law 94–241 (48 U.S.C. 1681 note)). The Resident Rep-
resentative shall be a nonvoting Delegate to the House of
Representatives, elected as provided in this Act.
SEC. 3. ELECTION OF DELEGATE.
(a) ELECTORS AND TIME OF ELECTION.—The Dele-
gate shall be elected—
(1) by the people qualified to vote for the popu-
larly elected officials of the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands; and
(2) at the general election of 2002, on the day
and month set by Article VIII, section 1, of the Con-
stitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar-
iana Islands, and at such general election every 2d
year thereafter.
(b) MANNER OF ELECTION.—The Delegate shall be
elected at large, by separate ballot, and by a majority of
the votes cast for the office of Delegate. If no candidate
receives such majority, on the 14th day following such
election a runoff election shall be held between the can-
didates receiving the highest and the 2d highest number
of votes cast for the office of Delegate.
(c) VACANCY.—In case of a permanent vacancy in the
office of Delegate, by reason of death, resignation, or per-
manent disability, 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 25 years of age on the date of
the election;
(2) have been a citizen of the United States for
at least 7 years prior to the date of the election;
(3) be an inhabitant of the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands; and
(4) not be, on the date of the election, a can-
didate for any other office.
SEC. 5. DETERMINATION OF ELECTION PROCEDURE.
Acting pursuant to legislation enacted in accordance
with the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands, the Government of the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands may determine
the order of names on the ballot for election of Delegate,
the method by which a special election to fill a vacancy
in the office of Delegate shall be conducted, the method
by which ties between candidates for the office of Delegate
shall be resolved, and all other matters of local application
pertaining 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 House of Representatives are
amended to provide otherwise, the Delegate from the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands shall receive
the same compensation, allowances, and benefits as a
Member of the House of Representatives, and shall be en-
titled to whatever privileges and immunities are, or herein-
after may be, granted to any other nonvoting Delegate to
the House of Representatives.
SEC. 7. LACK OF EFFECT ON COVENANT.
No provision of this Act shall be construed to alter,
amend, or abrogate any provision of the covenant referred
to in section 2 except section 901 of the covenant.
SEC. 8. DEFINITION.
For purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘Delegate’’ means
the Resident Representative referred to in section 2.
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