I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8393 
To enable the people of Puerto Rico to choose a permanent, nonterritorial, 
fully self-governing political status for Puerto Rico and to provide for 
a transition to and the implementation of that permanent, nonterritorial, 
fully self-governing political status, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 15, 2022 
Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N, Mr. 
SOTO, and Mr. HOYER) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To enable the people of Puerto Rico to choose a permanent, 
nonterritorial, fully self-governing political status for 
Puerto Rico and to provide for a transition to and the 
implementation of that permanent, nonterritorial, fully 
self-governing political status, and for other purposes. 
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 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
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Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. Findings. 
Sec. 4. Definitions. 
Sec. 5. Plebiscite. 
Sec. 6. Nonpartisan voter education campaign. 
Sec. 7. Oversight. 
Sec. 8. Funds for voter education; plebiscites. 
Sec. 9. Bilingual voter educational materials and ballots. 
Sec. 10. Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act. 
Sec. 11. Severability. 
TITLE I—TRANSITION AND IMPLEMENTATION—INDEPENDENCE 
Sec. 101. Constitutional Convention. 
Sec. 102. Character of the Constitution. 
Sec. 103. Submission; ratification. 
Sec. 104. Election of officers. 
Sec. 105. Conforming amendments to existing law. 
Sec. 106. Joint Transition Commission. 
Sec. 107. Proclamations by President of the United States; head of state of 
Puerto Rico. 
Sec. 108. Legal and constitutional provisions. 
Sec. 109. Judicial pronouncements. 
Sec. 110. Citizenship and immigration laws after Puerto Rican independence. 
Sec. 111. Individual rights to economic benefits and grants. 
TITLE II—TRANSITION AND IMPLEMENTATION—SOVEREIGNTY IN 
FREE ASSOCIATION WITH THE UNITED STATES 
Sec. 201. Constitutional Convention. 
Sec. 202. Character of the Constitution. 
Sec. 203. Submission; ratification. 
Sec. 204. Election of officers. 
Sec. 205. Proclamations by President of the United States; head of state of 
Puerto Rico. 
Sec. 206. Legal and constitutional provisions. 
Sec. 207. Judicial pronouncements. 
Sec. 208. Citizenship and immigration laws after sovereignty through free asso-
ciation. 
Sec. 209. Conforming amendments to existing law. 
Sec. 210. Bilateral Negotiating Commission. 
Sec. 211. Articles of Free Association approval and effective date. 
Sec. 212. Termination. 
Sec. 213. Individual rights to economic benefits and grants. 
TITLE III—TRANSITION AND IMPLEMENTATION—STATEHOOD 
Sec. 301. Presidential proclamation; Admission into the Union. 
Sec. 302. Conforming amendments to existing law. 
Sec. 303. Territory and boundaries. 
Sec. 304. Constitution. 
Sec. 305. Elections of Senators and Representatives, certification, and legal dis-
putes. 
Sec. 306. State title to land and property. 
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Sec. 307. Continuity of laws, government, and obligations. 
Sec. 308. Judicial pronouncements. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
In recognition of the inherent limitations of Puerto 
Rico’s territorial status, and the responsibility of the Fed-
eral Government to enable the people of the territory to 
freely express their wishes regarding political status and 
achieve full self-government, Congress seeks to enable the 
eligible voters of Puerto Rico to choose a permanent, non- 
territorial, fully self-governing political status for Puerto 
Rico and to provide for a transition to and the implemen-
tation of said permanent, nonterritorial, fully self-gov-
erning status. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) BILATERAL
NEGOTIATING
COMMISSION.— 
The term ‘‘Bilateral Negotiating Commission’’ 
means the Bilateral Negotiating Commission estab-
lished under section 209(a). 
(2) ELECTIONS COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Elec-
tions Commission’’ means the Puerto Rico State 
Elections 
Commission 
(Comisio´n 
Estatal 
de 
Elecciones de Puerto Rico, in Spanish). 
(3) ELIGIBLE VOTERS.—The term ‘‘eligible vot-
ers’’ means bona fide residents of Puerto Rico who 
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are otherwise qualified to vote in general elections in 
Puerto Rico. 
(4) INITIAL
PLEBISCITE.—The term ‘‘initial 
plebiscite’’ means the plebiscite required by section 
5(a)(1). 
(5) MAJORITY.—The term ‘‘majority’’ means 
more than 50 percent. 
(6) RUNOFF
PLEBISCITE.—The term ‘‘runoff 
plebiscite’’ means the plebiscite required by section 
5(a)(4). 
SEC. 5. PLEBISCITE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) INITIAL
PLEBISCITE.—A plebiscite to re-
solve Puerto Rico’s political status shall be held on 
November 5, 2023. 
(2) OPTIONS.—The plebiscite held under para-
graph (1) shall offer eligible voters a choice of one 
of the three options which shall be presented on the 
ballot as follows: 
(A) Independence. 
(B) Sovereignty in Free Association with 
the United States. 
(C) Statehood. 
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(3) MAJORITY VOTE REQUIRED.—Approval of a 
status option must be by a majority of the valid 
votes cast. 
(4) RUNOFF PLEBISCITE.—If there is not a ma-
jority in favor of one of the three options defined in 
this Act, then a runoff plebiscite shall be held on 
March 3, 2024, which shall offer eligible voters a 
choice of the two options that received the most 
votes in the plebiscite held under paragraph (1). 
(b) BALLOT LANGUAGE.—A ballot for a plebiscite re-
quired by subsection (a) shall include the following lan-
guage, except that the ballot for the runoff plebiscite shall 
omit the option that received the fewest votes in the initial 
plebiscite: 
(1) INSTRUCTIONS.—Mark the status option 
you choose as each is defined below. A ballot with 
more than 1 option marked will not be counted. A 
ballot with no option marked will not be counted. 
(2) INDEPENDENCE.—If you agree, mark here 
llll. 
(A) Puerto Rico is a sovereign nation that 
has full authority and responsibility over its ter-
ritory and population under a constitution of its 
own adoption which shall be the supreme law of 
the nation. 
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(B) Puerto Rico is vested with full powers 
and responsibilities consistent with the rights 
and responsibilities that devolve upon a sov-
ereign nation under international law, including 
its own fiscal and monetary policy, immigration, 
trade, and the conduct in its own name and 
right of relations with other nations and inter-
national organizations. 
(C) Puerto Rico has full authority and re-
sponsibility over its citizenship and immigration 
laws, and birth in Puerto Rico or relationship 
to persons with statutory United States citizen-
ship by birth in the former territory shall cease 
to be a basis for United States nationality or 
citizenship, except that persons who have such 
United States citizenship have a right to retain 
United States nationality and citizenship for 
life, by entitlement or election as provided by 
Federal law. 
(D) Puerto Rico will no longer be a posses-
sion of the United States for purposes of the 
Internal Revenue Code. In general, United 
States citizens and United States businesses in 
the nation of Puerto Rico will be subject to 
United States Federal tax laws (as is the case 
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with any other United States citizen or United 
States business abroad) and to Puerto Rican 
tax laws. Puerto Rico’s status as an inde-
pendent, sovereign nation will be the controlling 
factor in the taxation of Puerto Rican tax-
payers. 
(E) The Constitution and laws of the 
United States no longer apply in Puerto Rico 
and United States sovereignty in Puerto Rico is 
ended. 
(3) SOVEREIGNTY IN FREE ASSOCIATION WITH 
THE
UNITED
STATES.—If you agree, mark here 
lll. 
(A) Puerto Rico is a sovereign nation that 
has full authority and responsibility over its ter-
ritory and population under a constitution of its 
own adoption which shall be the supreme law of 
the nation. 
(B) Puerto Rico is vested with full powers 
and responsibilities consistent with the rights 
and responsibilities that devolve upon a sov-
ereign nation under international law, including 
its own fiscal and monetary policy, immigration, 
trade, and the conduct in its own name and 
right of relations with other nations and inter-
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national organizations, except as otherwise pro-
vided for in the Articles of Free Association to 
be negotiated by Puerto Rico and the United 
States. 
(C) Puerto Rico has full authority and re-
sponsibility over its citizenship and immigration 
laws, and persons who have United States citi-
zenship have a right to retain United States na-
tionality and citizenship for life by entitlement 
or election as provided by Federal law. 
(D) Birth in Puerto Rico shall cease to be 
a basis for United States nationality or citizen-
ship. Individuals born in Puerto Rico to parents 
both of whom are United States citizens shall 
be United States citizens at birth, consistent 
with the immigration laws of the United States, 
for the duration of the first agreement of the 
Articles of Free Association. 
(E) Puerto Rico enters into Articles of 
Free Association with the United States, with 
such devolution and reservation of governmental 
functions and other bilateral arrangements as 
may be agreed to by both Parties under the Ar-
ticles, which shall be terminable at will by ei-
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ther the United States or Puerto Rico at any 
time. 
(F) Puerto Rico will no longer be a posses-
sion of the United States for purposes of the 
Internal Revenue Code. In general, United 
States citizens and United States businesses in 
the nation of Puerto Rico will be subject to 
United States Federal tax laws (as is the case 
with any other United States citizen or United 
States business abroad) and to Puerto Rican 
tax laws. Puerto Rico’s status as an inde-
pendent, sovereign nation will be the controlling 
factor in the taxation of Puerto Rican tax-
payers. In addition, Puerto Rico will enter into 
an agreement with the United States to provide 
for ‘‘Sovereignty in Free Association’’ between 
the two nations. This agreement may modify 
the otherwise applicable tax rules, subject to ne-
gotiation and ratification by the two nations. 
(G) The Constitution of the United States 
no longer applies in Puerto Rico, the laws of 
the United States no longer apply in Puerto 
Rico except as otherwise provided in the Arti-
cles of Free Association, and United States sov-
ereignty in Puerto Rico is ended. 
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(H) All matters pertaining to the govern-
ment-to-government relationship between Puer-
to Rico and the United States, which may in-
clude foreign affairs, trade, finance, taxation, 
currency, economic assistance, security and de-
fense, dispute resolution and termination, shall 
be provided for in the Articles of Free Associa-
tion. 
(4) STATEHOOD.—If you agree, mark here 
llll. 
(A) The State of Puerto Rico is admitted 
into the Union on an equal footing with the 
other States in all respects whatever and is a 
part of the permanent union of the United 
States of America, subject to the United States 
Constitution, with powers not prohibited by the 
Constitution to the States and reserved to the 
State of Puerto Rico or to its residents. 
(B) The residents of Puerto Rico are fully 
self-governing with their rights secured under 
the United States Constitution, which shall be 
fully applicable in Puerto Rico and which, with 
the laws and treaties of the United States, is 
the supreme law and has the same force and ef-
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fect in Puerto Rico as in the other States of the 
Union. 
(C) United States citizenship of those born 
in Puerto Rico is recognized, protected, and se-
cured under the United States Constitution in 
the same way such citizenship is for all United 
States citizens born in the other States. 
(D) Puerto Rico will no longer be a posses-
sion of the United States for purposes of the 
Internal Revenue Code. Instead, the State of 
Puerto Rico will become a State on equal foot-
ing with each of the current 50 States in the 
United States of America. Individuals and busi-
nesses resident in the State of Puerto Rico will 
be subject to United States Federal tax laws as 
well as applicable State tax laws. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION OF PLEBISCITE.—The plebi-
scites authorized by this section shall be implemented by 
the Elections Commission, consistent with the laws of 
Puerto Rico and Federal law. 
(d) RESULTS.—The Elections Commission shall in-
form the President of the United States, the President pro 
tempore of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
United States House of Representatives, the Senate Com-
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mittee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the House 
Committee on Natural Resources of— 
(1) the results of the initial plebiscite not later 
than 30 calendar days after the initial plebiscite is 
held; and 
(2) the results of the runoff plebiscite, if held, 
not later than 30 calendar days after the runoff 
plebiscite is held. 
(e) JURISDICTION OF DISTRICT COURT.—The United 
States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico shall 
have original and exclusive jurisdiction of any civil action 
alleging a dispute or controversy pertaining to electoral 
processes conducted under this section. 
SEC. 6. NONPARTISAN VOTER EDUCATION CAMPAIGN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Elections Commission shall 
carry out a nonpartisan voter education campaign through 
traditional paid media and make available at all voting lo-
cations voter education materials related to the plebiscites 
authorized under this Act consistent with Department of 
Justice approval under section 7. 
(b) VOTER EDUCATION MATERIALS.—At a min-
imum, the voter education materials shall address for each 
option— 
(1) international representation; 
(2) citizenship and immigration; and 
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(3) access and treatment under Federal law 
and programs. 
SEC. 7. OVERSIGHT. 
(a) SUBMISSION OF MATERIALS.—Not later than 60 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Elec-
tions Commission shall submit the ballot design and voter 
education materials for the plebiscites authorized under 
this Act to the United States Attorney General for review 
and the Elections Commission shall make not more than 
one submission of the ballot design and voter education 
materials to the Attorney General for review. 
(b) EFFECT OF FAILURE TO COMPLY.—If the Attor-
ney General fails to comply with subsection (c) within the 
45-day period, the ballot design and voter education mate-
rials shall be considered approved. 
(c) REVIEW.—Not later than 45 days after receiving 
the ballot design and voter education materials under sub-
section (a), the Attorney General shall review the ballot 
design and voter education materials to ensure consistency 
with this Act and to ensure that the three options defined 
in this Act are represented fairly, especially in the event 
that any of the three options are not represented on the 
Elections Commission by a member of a political party 
that supports such option, and— 
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(1) return the materials to the Elections Com-
mission with comments and instructions for changes; 
or 
(2) before the expiration of the 45-day period, 
inform the Elections Commission that no instruc-
tions or requests for changes shall be made under 
paragraph (1), but that the Attorney General re-
serves the right to submit instructions for changes 
in accordance with this section if additional informa-
tion comes to the attention of the Attorney General 
during the remainder of the 45-day period. 
(d) REVISION.—Not later than 45 days after receiv-
ing comments and instructions for changes from the At-
torney General under subsection (c), the Elections Com-
mission shall revise the ballot design and voter education 
materials as requested by the Attorney General. 
SEC. 8. FUNDS FOR VOTER EDUCATION; PLEBISCITES. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary 
for the Elections Commission to carry out a nonpartisan 
voter education campaign and an initial plebiscite and, if 
necessary, a runoff plebiscite under this Act. 
(b) EXISTING FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any provi-
sion of Public Law 113–76, funds made available under 
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such Act to carry out a plebiscite on Puerto Rico’s status 
shall be made available to carry out this Act. 
SEC. 9. BILINGUAL VOTER EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND 
BALLOTS. 
All voter educational materials and ballots used to 
carry out this Act shall be made available in English and 
Spanish. 
SEC. 10. PUERTO RICO OVERSIGHT, MANAGEMENT, AND 
ECONOMIC STABILITY ACT. 
Upon the admission of the State of Puerto Rico into 
the Union or on the date that the Government of the na-
tion of Puerto Rico initially takes office: 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Puerto Rico Oversight, 
Management, and Economic Stability Act (48 
U.S.C. 2101 et seq.) shall no longer apply to the 
State of Puerto Rico or the nation of Puerto Rico, 
as the case may be. 
(2) OVERSIGHT BOARD.—The Financial Over-
sight and Management Board for Puerto Rico estab-
lished under section 101(b)(1) of the Puerto Rico 
Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act 
(48 U.S.C. 2121(b)(1)) is terminated and all duties 
and responsibilities assigned to the Oversight Board 
shall return to the State of Puerto Rico or the na-
tion of Puerto Rico, as the case may be. 
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(3) TRANSFER.—All funds, property, and assets 
of the board described in subparagraph (B) shall be 
transferred to the State of Puerto Rico or the nation 
of Puerto Rico, as the case may be. 
SEC. 11. SEVERABILITY. 
If any provision of this Act, or any section, sub-
section, sentence, clause, phrase, or individual word, or the 
application thereof to any person or circumstance is held 
invalid by a court of jurisdiction, the validity of the re-
mainder of the Act and of the application of any such pro-
vision, section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or in-
dividual word to other persons and circumstances shall not 
be affected thereby. 
TITLE I—TRANSITION AND IM-
PLEMENTATION—INDEPEND-
ENCE 
SEC. 101. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. 
(a) ELECTION OF DELEGATES.—Not later than 6 
months after the effective date of certification of a plebi-
scite result under this Act in favor of independence, the 
legislature of Puerto Rico shall provide for the election of 
delegates to a constitutional Convention to formulate and 
draft a Constitution for the nation of Puerto Rico. 
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(b) ELIGIBLE VOTERS.—All eligible voters may vote 
in the election of delegates to the constitutional Conven-
tion. 
(c) 
GENERAL
APPLICABILITY
OF
ELECTORAL 
LAW.—The laws of the territory of Puerto Rico relating 
to the electoral process shall apply to a special election 
held under this Act. 
(d) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 3 months 
after the election of delegates to the constitutional Con-
vention, the elected delegates shall meet at such time and 
place as the legislature of Puerto Rico shall determine. 
The initial meeting shall constitute the establishment of 
the constitutional Convention. 
SEC. 102. CHARACTER OF THE CONSTITUTION. 
The constitutional Convention under section 101 
shall formulate and draft a Constitution for Puerto Rico 
that guarantees the protection of fundamental human 
rights, including— 
(1) due process and equal protection under the 
law; 
(2) freedom of speech, press, assembly, associa-
tion, and religion; 
(3) the rights of the accused; 
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(4) any other economic, social, and cultural 
rights as the constitutional Convention may deem 
appropriate and necessary; and 
(5) provisions to ensure that no individual born 
in the nation of Puerto Rico shall be stateless at 
birth. 
SEC. 103. SUBMISSION; RATIFICATION. 
(a) SUBMISSION.—Not later than one year after the 
establishment of the constitutional Convention, the Con-
stitution formulated and drafted by the constitutional 
Convention shall be submitted to the eligible voters of 
Puerto Rico for ratification or rejection in a special elec-
tion. 
(b) MANNER OF ELECTION.—The special election 
held under this subsection shall be held in the manner pre-
scribed by the legislature of Puerto Rico. 
SEC. 104. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one month after 
the ratification of the Constitution under section 103, the 
Governor of the territory of Puerto Rico shall issue a proc-
lamation calling for the election of such officers of the na-
tion of Puerto Rico as may be required by the ratified 
Constitution. 
(b) REJECTION.—If the special election results in re-
jection of the Constitution, the process provided for in sec-
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tions 101 through 103 shall be repeated, except that sec-
tion 101(a) shall be applied by substituting— 
(1) ‘‘the special election’’ for ‘‘a plebiscite’’; and 
(2) ‘‘rejecting of the Constitution’’ for ‘‘in favor 
of independence’’. 
(c) DEADLINE; PROCEDURES.—The election under 
subsection (a) shall be held— 
(1) not later than 6 months after the date of 
ratification of the Constitution; and 
(2) in accordance with the procedures and re-
quirements established in the Constitution of the na-
tion of Puerto Rico. 
(d) CERTIFICATION OF RESULTS.—Not later than 10 
days after the election of officers under subsection (a), the 
Elections Commission shall certify the results of the elec-
tion. The Governor of the territory of Puerto Rico shall 
inform the results of the election to the President of the 
United States, the President pro tempore of the United 
States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House 
of Representatives, the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate, and the Committee on Natural 
Resources of the House of Representatives. 
SEC. 105. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO EXISTING LAW. 
(a) REVIEW.—Not later than 30 days after the initial 
meeting of a constitutional Convention under section 
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101(d), the President shall initiate a review of Federal law 
with respect to Puerto Rico, including those regarding— 
(1) taxation of persons and businesses; 
(2) health care; 
(3) housing; 
(4) transportation; 
(5) education; and 
(6) entitlement programs. 
(b) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Not later than one year 
after the date on which the President initiates a review 
under subsection (a), the President shall submit rec-
ommendations to Congress for changes to Federal law 
identified during such review, as the President deems ap-
propriate. 
SEC. 106. JOINT TRANSITION COMMISSION. 
(a) APPOINTMENT.—Not later than 3 months after 
the establishment of a constitutional Convention under 
section 101(d), a Joint Transition Commission shall be 
appointed in equal numbers by the President of the United 
States and the presiding officer of the Constitutional Con-
vention of Puerto Rico. 
(b) DUTIES.—The Joint Transition Commission shall 
be responsible for expediting the orderly transfer of all 
functions currently exercised by the Federal Government 
in Puerto Rico, or in relation to Puerto Rico to the nation 
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of Puerto Rico, and shall recommend to Congress any ap-
propriate legislation to carry out such transfer. 
(c) COLLABORATION.—The Government of the terri-
tory of Puerto Rico and the agencies of the Government 
of the United States shall collaborate with the Joint Tran-
sition Commission and subsequently the officers of the na-
tion of Puerto Rico, to provide for the orderly transfer 
of the functions under subsection (b). 
SEC. 107. PROCLAMATIONS BY PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED 
STATES; HEAD OF STATE OF PUERTO RICO. 
(a) PROCLAMATION.—Not later than one month after 
the official certification of the elected officers of the nation 
of Puerto Rico under section 104(d), the President of the 
United States shall by proclamation— 
(1) withdraw and surrender all rights of posses-
sion, supervision, jurisdiction, control, or sovereignty 
then existing and exercised by the United States 
over the territory and residents of Puerto Rico; 
(2) recognize, on behalf of the United States of 
America, the independence of the nation of Puerto 
Rico and the authority of the government instituted 
by eligible voters of Puerto Rico under the Constitu-
tion of their own adoption; and 
(3) state that the effective date of withdrawal 
of the sovereignty of the United States and recogni-
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tion of independence shall be the same as the date 
of the proclamation. 
(b) COPY
OF PROCLAMATION FORWARDED.—The 
President of the United States shall forward a copy of the 
proclamation issued under subsection (a) not later than 
one week after signature to the presiding officer of the 
Constitutional Convention of Puerto Rico, the officer elect-
ed as head of state of the nation, the President pro tem-
pore of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
United States House of Representatives, the Senate Com-
mittee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the House 
Committee on Natural Resources. 
(c) DATE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE OFFICE.—Not 
later than one week after the date of receipt of the Presi-
dential proclamation and with the advice of the officer 
elected as head of state of the nation, the presiding officer 
of the constitutional Convention shall determine the date 
on which the Government of the nation shall take office, 
and shall so notify the Governor of the territory of Puerto 
Rico, the President of the United States, the President 
pro tempore of the United States Senate, and the Speaker 
of the United States House of Representatives. 
SEC. 108. LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS. 
Upon the proclamation of independence as provided 
in this title, and except as otherwise provided in this title 
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or in any separate agreements thereafter concluded be-
tween the United States and the nation of Puerto Rico— 
(1) all property, rights and interests which the 
United States may have acquired over Puerto Rico 
by virtue of the Treaty of Paris of 1898, and there-
after by cession, purchase, or eminent domain, with 
the exception of such land and other property, 
rights, or interests as may have been sold or other-
wise legally disposed of prior to the proclamation of 
Independence, shall vest ipso facto in the nation of 
Puerto Rico; and 
(2) except as provided in section 110, all laws 
of the United States applicable to the territory of 
Puerto Rico immediately prior to the proclamation 
of Independence shall no longer apply in the nation 
of Puerto Rico. 
SEC. 109. JUDICIAL PRONOUNCEMENTS. 
(a) JUDGMENTS BEFORE PROCLAMATION.—The na-
tion of Puerto Rico shall recognize and give effect to all 
orders and judgments rendered by United States or terri-
torial courts before the date of the proclamation of inde-
pendence pursuant to the laws of the United States then 
applicable to the territory of Puerto Rico. 
(b) CONTINUITY OF PENDING PROCEEDINGS.—All 
judicial proceedings pending in the courts of the territory 
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of Puerto Rico on the day of the proclamation of independ-
ence shall be continued in the corresponding courts under 
the Constitution of the nation of Puerto Rico. 
(c) TRANSFER
OF JUDICIAL POWER.—Upon the 
proclamation of independence, the judicial power of the 
United States shall no longer extend to Puerto Rico. All 
proceedings pending in the United States District Court 
for the District of Puerto Rico shall be transferred to the 
corresponding Puerto Rican courts of competence or other 
competent judicial authority under the Constitution of the 
nation of Puerto Rico for disposition in conformity with 
laws applicable at the time when the controversy in proc-
ess arose. All proceedings pending in the United States 
Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, or in the Supreme 
Court of the United States, that initiated in, or that could 
have been initiated in, the courts of the territory or in 
the United States District Court for the District of Puerto 
Rico shall continue until their final disposition and shall 
be submitted to the competent authority of the nation of 
Puerto Rico for proper execution: Provided, That neither 
the United States nor any of its officers is a party, in 
which case any final judgment shall be properly executed 
by the competent authority of the United States. 
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SEC. 110. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION LAWS AFTER 
PUERTO RICAN INDEPENDENCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) PUERTO
RICAN
NATIONALITY.—After the 
effective date of independence, the citizenship status 
of each individual born in Puerto Rico shall be de-
termined in accordance with the Constitution and 
laws of the nation of Puerto Rico. 
(2) UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION LAWS.—Ex-
cept as described in this section, after the effective 
date of independence citizens of Puerto Rico seeking 
to enter into the United States or obtain citizenship 
in the United States shall be subject to the immigra-
tion laws of the United States (as such term is de-
fined in section 101 of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101)). 
(b) EFFECT
OF PUERTO RICAN CITIZENSHIP.— 
Nothing in this Act precludes or limits the applicability 
of section 349 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1481), except that the provision of citizenship by 
the laws of Puerto Rico shall not constitute or otherwise 
serve as the basis of loss, or relinquishment of United 
States citizenship under such section. 
(c) CITIZENSHIP
AT
BIRTH
AFTER
INDEPEND-
ENCE.—An individual born in Puerto Rico after the effec-
tive date of independence to at least one parent who be-
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came a United States citizen under section 302 of the Im-
migration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1402) is not a 
United States citizen at birth under subsections (c), (d), 
or (g) of section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1401(c), (d) or (g)). 
(d) TRAVEL AND WORK AUTHORIZATION.— 
(1) Any person in the following categories may 
enter, lawfully engage in occupations, and establish 
residence as a nonimmigrant in the United States 
and its territories and possessions without regard to 
paragraphs (5)(A) and (7) of section 212(a) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a); 
(5)(A) and (7))— 
(A) a person who acquires the citizenship 
of Puerto Rico, at birth, on or after the effec-
tive date of independence; or 
(B) a naturalized citizen of Puerto Rico, 
who has been an actual resident there for not 
less than five years after attaining such natu-
ralization and who holds a proof of such resi-
dence. 
Such persons shall be considered to have the permis-
sion of the Secretary of Homeland Security to accept 
employment in the United States. 
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(2) The right of such persons to establish habit-
ual residence in a territory or possession of the 
United States may, however, be subjected to non-
discriminatory limitations provided for— 
(A) in statutes or regulations of the United 
States; or 
(B) in those statutes or regulations of the 
territory or possession concerned which are au-
thorized by the laws of the United States. 
(3) This subsection shall expire 25 years after 
the date of independence. 
(e) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 101 of the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101) is amend-
ed by striking ‘‘Puerto Rico,’’ in subsection (a) para-
graph (36) and in subsection (a) paragraph (38). 
(2) PRIOR
TO
INDEPENDENCE.—Puerto Rico 
shall be considered to be in the United States, as 
such term is defined in section 101(a)(38) of the 
Immigration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1101(a)(38)) prior to the effective date of independ-
ence. 
(f) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall limit the power and authority of the United 
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States to change policy requirements for United States 
citizenship. 
SEC. 111. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS TO ECONOMIC BENEFITS 
AND GRANTS. 
(a) RIGHTS AND BENEFITS.—All vested rights and 
benefits which accrue to residents of the territory of Puer-
to Rico under the laws of the United States from past 
services or contributions, such as rights and benefits for 
veterans or relatives of veterans of the Armed Forces of 
the United States, retired Government employees, or bene-
ficiaries of old age, disability, or survivors’ insurance bene-
fits under the Social Security Act, shall not be interrupted 
after the proclamation of independence but will continue 
until such time as said rights and benefits are completely 
extinguished according to the applicable laws of the 
United States. All services which must be rendered as part 
of these rights and benefits shall be made available 
through the Government of the nation of Puerto Rico in 
accordance with agreements reached by the two nations. 
(b) SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM.—Notwithstanding 
the provisions in subsection (a), all contributions made by 
employees and employers in Puerto Rico to the Social Se-
curity system with respect to persons who, upon the proc-
lamation of independence, are residents of the nation of 
Puerto Rico and are not yet eligible for old age, disability, 
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or survivors’ insurance benefits under the system, shall be 
transferred to the Government of the nation of Puerto 
Rico once said Government establishes its own social secu-
rity system. The Government of the nation of Puerto Rico 
may not use these funds for any purpose other than the 
establishment and operation of a social security system. 
Upon the transfer described herein, the obligations of the 
United States Government under the Social Security Act 
with respect to such residents of the nation of Puerto Rico 
shall cease. 
(c) OTHER FEDERAL TRANSFER PAYMENTS.— 
(1) BLOCK GRANTS.—All other Federal transfer 
payments to individuals and to the Government of 
the territory of Puerto Rico shall be maintained in 
the form of annual block grants to be used 
discretionally by the Government of the nation of 
Puerto Rico. 
(2) ANNUAL
AGGREGATE
FUNDING.—During 
the ten fiscal years following the proclamation of 
independence, the annual block grants shall amount 
to the annual aggregate funding of all programs 
which currently extend to the territory of Puerto 
Rico, or of all programs which shall have been ex-
tended to the territory of Puerto Rico during the fis-
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cal year immediately prior to the proclamation of 
independence, whichever shall be greater. 
(3) DECREASE IN AMOUNT.—The annual block 
grants shall decrease thereafter on a straight-line 
basis, at the rate of ten percent each year, beginning 
on the eleventh fiscal year after the proclamation of 
independence. At any time during the aforemen-
tioned transition period the terms of this subsection 
may be modified by agreement between the United 
States and the nation of Puerto Rico. 
TITLE II—TRANSITION AND IM-
PLEMENTATION—SOV-
EREIGNTY IN FREE ASSOCIA-
TION 
WITH 
THE 
UNITED 
STATES 
SEC. 201. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. 
(a) ELECTION OF DELEGATES.—Not later than 6 
months after the effective date of certification of a plebi-
scite result under this Act in favor of Sovereignty in Free 
Association with the United States, the legislature of 
Puerto Rico shall provide for the election of delegates to 
a constitutional Convention to formulate and draft a Con-
stitution for the nation of Puerto Rico. 
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(b) ELIGIBLE VOTERS.—All eligible voters may vote 
in the election of delegates to the constitutional Conven-
tion. 
(c) 
GENERAL
APPLICABILITY
OF
ELECTORAL 
LAW.—The laws of the territory of Puerto Rico relating 
to the electoral process shall apply to a special election 
held under this Act. 
(d) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 3 months 
after the election of delegates to the constitutional Con-
vention, the elected delegates shall meet at such time and 
place as the legislature of Puerto Rico shall determine. 
The initial meeting shall constitute the establishment of 
the constitutional Convention. 
SEC. 202. CHARACTER OF THE CONSTITUTION. 
The constitutional Convention under section 201 
shall formulate and draft a Constitution for Puerto Rico 
that guarantees the protection of fundamental human 
rights, including— 
(1) due process and equal protection under the 
law; 
(2) freedom of speech, press, assembly, associa-
tion, and religion; 
(3) the rights of the accused; 
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(4) any other economic, social, and cultural 
rights as the constitutional Convention may deem 
appropriate and necessary; and 
(5) provisions to ensure that no individual born 
in the nation of Puerto Rico shall be stateless at 
birth. 
SEC. 203. SUBMISSION; RATIFICATION. 
(a) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 2 years after the 
establishment of the constitutional Convention, the Con-
stitution formulated and drafted by the constitutional 
Convention shall be submitted to the eligible voters of 
Puerto Rico for ratification or rejection in a special elec-
tion. 
(b) MANNER OF ELECTION.—The special election 
held under this subsection shall be held in the manner pre-
scribed by the legislature of Puerto Rico. 
SEC. 204. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one month after 
the ratification of the Constitution under section 203, the 
Governor of the territory of Puerto Rico shall issue a proc-
lamation calling for the election of such officers of the na-
tion of Puerto Rico as may be required by the ratified 
Constitution. 
(b) REJECTION.—If the special election results in re-
jection of the Constitution, the process provided for in sec-
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tions 201 through 203 shall be repeated, except that sec-
tion 201(a) shall be applied by substituting— 
(1) ‘‘the special election’’ for ‘‘a plebiscite’’; and 
(2) ‘‘rejecting the Constitution’’ for ‘‘in favor of 
sovereignty in free association with the United 
States’’. 
(c) DEADLINE; PROCEDURES.—The election under 
subsection (a) shall be held— 
(1) not later than 6 months after the date of 
ratification of the Constitution; and 
(2) in accordance with the procedures and re-
quirements established in the Constitution of the na-
tion of Puerto Rico. 
(d) CERTIFICATION OF RESULTS.—Not later than 10 
days after the election of officers under subsection (a), the 
Elections Commission shall certify the results of the elec-
tion. The Governor of the territory of Puerto Rico shall 
inform the results of the election to the President of the 
United States, the President pro tempore of the United 
States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House 
of Representatives, the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate, and the Committee on Natural 
Resources of the House of Representatives. 
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SEC. 205. PROCLAMATIONS BY PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED 
STATES; HEAD OF STATE OF PUERTO RICO. 
(a) PROCLAMATION.—Not later than one month after 
the official certification of the elected officers of the nation 
of Puerto Rico under section 204, the President of the 
United States shall by proclamation— 
(1) withdraw and surrender all rights of posses-
sion, supervision, jurisdiction, control, or sovereignty 
then existing and exercised by the United States 
over the territory and residents of Puerto Rico; 
(2) recognize, on behalf of the United States of 
America, the international sovereignty through free 
association of the nation of Puerto Rico and the au-
thority of the government instituted by eligible vot-
ers of Puerto Rico under the Constitution of their 
own adoption; and 
(3) state that the effective date of withdrawal 
of the sovereignty of the United States and recogni-
tion of international sovereignty through free asso-
ciation shall be the same as the date of the procla-
mation. 
(b) COPY
OF PROCLAMATION FORWARDED.—The 
President of the United States shall forward a copy of the 
proclamation issued under subsection (a) not later than 
one week after signature to the presiding officer of the 
Constitutional Convention of Puerto Rico, the officer elect-
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ed as head of state of the nation, the President pro tem-
pore of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
United States House of Representatives, the Senate Com-
mittee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the House 
Committee on Natural Resources. 
(c) DATE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE OFFICE.—Not 
later than one week after the date of receipt of the Presi-
dential proclamation and with the advice of the officer 
elected as head of state of the nation, the presiding officer 
of the constitutional Convention shall determine the date 
on which the Government of the nation shall take office, 
and shall so notify the Governor of the territory of Puerto 
Rico, the President of the United States, the President 
pro tempore of the United States Senate, and the Speaker 
of the United States House of Representatives. 
SEC. 206. LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS. 
Upon the proclamation of international sovereignty 
through free association as provided in this title, and ex-
cept as otherwise provided in this title or in any separate 
agreements thereafter concluded between the United 
States and the nation of Puerto Rico— 
(1) all property, rights and interests which the 
United States may have acquired over Puerto Rico 
by virtue of the Treaty of Paris of 1898, and there-
after by cession, purchase, or eminent domain, with 
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the exception of such land and other property, 
rights, or interests as may have been sold or other-
wise legally disposed of prior to the proclamation of 
international sovereignty through free association, 
shall vest ipso facto in the nation of Puerto Rico; 
and 
(2) except as provided in section 209, all laws 
of the United States applicable to the territory of 
Puerto Rico immediately prior to the proclamation 
of international sovereignty through free association 
shall no longer apply in the nation of Puerto Rico. 
SEC. 207. JUDICIAL PRONOUNCEMENTS. 
(a) JUDGMENTS BEFORE PROCLAMATION.—The na-
tion of Puerto Rico shall recognize and give effect to all 
orders and judgments rendered by United States or terri-
torial courts before the date of the proclamation of inter-
national sovereignty through free association pursuant to 
the laws of the United States then applicable to the terri-
tory of Puerto Rico. 
(b) CONTINUITY OF PENDING PROCEEDINGS.—All 
judicial proceedings pending in the courts of the territory 
of Puerto Rico on the day of the proclamation of inter-
national sovereignty through free association shall be con-
tinued in the corresponding courts under the Constitution 
of the nation of Puerto Rico. 
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(c) TRANSFER
OF JUDICIAL POWER.—Upon the 
proclamation of international sovereignty through free as-
sociation, the judicial power of the United States shall no 
longer extend to Puerto Rico. All proceedings pending in 
the United States District Court for the District of Puerto 
Rico shall be transferred to the corresponding Puerto 
Rican courts of competence or other competent judicial 
authority under the Constitution of the nation of Puerto 
Rico for disposition in conformity with laws applicable at 
the time when the controversy in process arose. All pro-
ceedings pending in the United States Court of Appeals 
for the First Circuit, or in the Supreme Court of the 
United States, that initiated in, or that could have been 
initiated in, the courts of the territory or in the United 
States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico shall 
continue until their final disposition and shall be sub-
mitted to the competent authority of the nation of Puerto 
Rico for proper execution: Provided, That neither the 
United States nor any of its officers is a party, in which 
case any final judgment shall be properly executed by the 
competent authority of the United States. 
SEC. 208. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION LAWS AFTER 
SOVEREIGNTY THROUGH FREE ASSOCIATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
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(1) PUERTO
RICAN
NATIONALITY.—After the 
proclamation of international sovereignty through 
free association, the citizenship status of each indi-
vidual born in Puerto Rico shall be determined in 
accordance with the Constitution and laws of the na-
tion of Puerto Rico. 
(2) UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION LAWS.—Ex-
cept as described in this section, after the proclama-
tion of international sovereignty through free asso-
ciation, citizens of Puerto Rico seeking to enter into 
the United States or obtain citizenship in the United 
States shall be subject to the immigration laws of 
the United States (as such term is defined in section 
101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1101)). 
(b) EFFECT
OF PUERTO RICAN CITIZENSHIP.— 
Nothing in this Act precludes or limits the applicability 
of section 349 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1481), except that the provision of citizenship by 
the laws of Puerto Rico shall not constitute or otherwise 
serve as the basis of loss, or relinquishment of United 
States citizenship under such section. 
(c) CITIZENSHIP AT BIRTH AFTER SOVEREIGNTY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as described in para-
graph (2), an individual born in Puerto Rico after 
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the 
proclamation 
of 
international 
sovereignty 
through free association to at least one parent who 
became a United States citizen under section 302 of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1402) is not a United States citizen at birth under 
subsections (c), (d), or (g) of section 301 of the Im-
migration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1401 (c), 
(d) or (g)). 
(2) TRANSITION
PERIOD.—During the imple-
mentation of the first Articles of Free Association, 
an individual born in Puerto Rico to two parents 
who are citizens of the United States shall be a 
United States citizen at birth under subsection (c) 
of section 301(c) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1401(c)) if otherwise eligible. 
(d) TRAVEL AND WORK AUTHORIZATION.— 
(1) Any person in the following categories may 
enter, lawfully engage in occupations, and establish 
residence as a nonimmigrant in the United States 
and its territories and possessions without regard to 
paragraphs (5)(A) and (7) of section 212(a) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a); 
(5)(A) and (7)): 
(A) a person who acquires the citizenship 
of Puerto Rico, at birth, on or after the effec-
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tive date of international sovereignty through 
free association; or 
(B) a naturalized citizen of Puerto Rico, 
who has been an actual resident there for not 
less than five years after attaining such natu-
ralization and who holds a proof of such resi-
dence. 
Such persons shall be considered to have the permis-
sion of the Secretary of Homeland Security to accept 
employment in the United States. 
(2) The right of such persons to establish habit-
ual residence in a territory or possession of the 
United States may, however, be subjected to non-
discriminatory limitations provided for— 
(A) in statutes or regulations of the United 
States; or 
(B) in those statutes or regulations of the 
territory or possession concerned which are au-
thorized by the laws of the United States. 
(3) This subsection shall expire upon the termi-
nation of the Articles of Free Association in accord-
ance with section 211. 
(e) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 101 of the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101) is amend-
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