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103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5005
To require periodic plebiscites in United States territories and to require
congressional notification of executive branch actions impacting the status
of United States territories, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 19, 1994
Mr. TORRICELLI (for himself, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO´, Mr. GILMAN, Mr.
WHEAT, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. ANDREWS of New Jersey, Mr. DEUTSCH,
Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. HASTINGS, and Mrs. MEEK) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To require periodic plebiscites in United States territories
and to require congressional notification of executive
branch actions impacting the status of United States
territories, 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 ‘‘Territorial Consulta-
tion and Notification Act of 1994’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
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(1) Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 of the Con-
stitution, also known as the territorial clause, grants
Congress plenary authority to provide for the gov-
ernance of the United States territories, including
the determination of status.
(2) The President and all executive branch offi-
cials should closely consult with Congress on terri-
torial matters.
(3) Congress has the responsibility to promote
the progress of the people of the territories toward
self-government consistent with the principle of self-
determination as defined in the United Nations
Charter, and this requires that the Congress have
regular and reliable information with respect to the
views of the voters in the territories on political sta-
tus issues.
(4) The majority view of the voters in the terri-
tories can be acquired by Congress most effectively
and directly through periodic plebiscites which are
recognized by the people as the opportunity to freely
express their wishes.
(5) Under Federal statutes approved by Con-
gress, limited self-government has been authorized
for each of the United States territories, and all per-
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sons born in the territories are native born citizens
of the United States pursuant to the law.
(6) The decade of the 1990s has been declared
by the United Nations as the ‘‘Decade to Eradicate
Colonialism’’.
(7) In the November 4, 1993, plebiscite, a ma-
jority of Puerto Rican voters for the first time voted
against their current status as a United States terri-
tory and supported significant changes in the politi-
cal and legal relationship between the United States
and Puerto Rico.
SEC. 3. REFERENDUMS ON TERRITORIAL STATUS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—All territories of the United
States shall conduct referendums on the sentiments of
their citizens regarding territorial status at least every five
years.
(b) REPORT OF RESULTS TO CONGRESS.—Within 30
days after the date results of an election held under sub-
section (a) are certified, the Governor of the territory con-
cerned shall submit a report of such results to the Presi-
dent and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives
and the President of the Senate, who shall refer the report
to the appropriate committees.
(c) REPORT BY APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON-
GRESS.—Within 180 calendar days after the report de-
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scribed in subsection (b) is referred, each committee to
whom the report is referred may submit a report to the
Speaker of the House of Representatives or the President
of the Senate, as the case may be, in which the results
of the election are evaluated and recommendations (if any)
are made for changes to the laws or policies of United
States are made.
(d) IMPLEMENTATION
OF CHANGE
IN STATUS.—
Within one year after a vote under subsection (a) in which
a change regarding the territorial status has been ap-
proved, the President shall develop and report to the com-
mittees of Congress specified in subsection (a) the plans
of the President for implementing the change in status.
SEC. 4. REPORT ON IMPACT OF POLICY AND REGULATORY
MATTERS 
ON 
THE 
STATUS 
OF 
UNITED
STATES TERRITORIES.
The President shall submit annually to the Commit-
tee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and
the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on all policy and regulatory matters
impacting the status of United States territories.
SEC. 5. NOTICE OF REGULATORY CHANGE AFFECTING THE
STATUS OF UNITED STATES TERRITORIES.
No regulation that affects the status of United States
territories may take effect until after 90 days after such