IB 
Union Calendar No. 164 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2499 
[Report No. 111–294] 
To provide for a federally sanctioned self-determination process for the people 
of Puerto Rico. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 19, 2009 
Mr. PIERLUISI (for himself, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. ARCURI, Mr. BAIRD, Ms. 
BERKLEY, Mr. BERMAN, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. BOUSTANY, Ms. CORRINE 
BROWN of Florida, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Mr. BURTON of Indi-
ana, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. CARDOZA, Mr. CASTLE, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. 
CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. COSTA, Mr. CUELLAR, Mr. 
DELAHUNT, Mr. DENT, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. 
MARIO
DIAZ-BALART
of Florida, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. 
FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. FARR, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. FLAKE, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. 
GERLACH, Mr. GRAYSON, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. HARE, Mr. 
HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. HOYER, Ms. 
JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. 
KENNEDY, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, Mr. KLEIN of 
Florida, Mr. KRATOVIL, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, 
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California, Mr. MACK, Mr. MAFFEI, Ms. 
MARKEY of Colorado, Mr. MASSA, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. 
MICA, Mr. MOLLOHAN, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 
OLVER, Mr. ORTIZ, Mr. PENCE, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. POLIS of Colo-
rado, Mr. PUTNAM, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. REYES, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Ms. ROS- 
LEHTINEN, Mr. SABLAN, Mr. SALAZAR, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of Cali-
fornia, Mr. SHULER, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. STARK, Mr. TAY-
LOR, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. TONKO, Mr. WALZ, Ms. 
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. WATSON, Mr. WATT, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. 
WESTMORELAND, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. WU, 
Mr. YARMUTH, and Mr. YOUNG of Alaska) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
OCTOBER 8, 2009 
Additional sponsors: Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. 
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22:00 Oct 08, 2009
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CARTER, Mr. THOMPSON
of Pennsylvania, Mr. PETERSON, Mr. 
KUCINICH, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. CULBERSON, Mr. CARSON of 
Indiana, Ms. SUTTON, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. PAUL, Mr. 
POSEY, Mr. AKIN, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. DICKS, Mr. KIND, Ms. 
SHEA-PORTER, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. SCHOCK, Mr. WELCH, Mr. BISHOP 
of Utah, Mr. ROONEY, Mr. SIRES, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. 
MARCHANT, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. SPRATT, 
Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Ms. FALLIN, Mrs. MILLER of 
Michigan, Mr. CLAY, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. BILIRAKIS, 
Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. 
HEINRICH, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. CARNAHAN, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. 
FLEMING, Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. SCOTT of 
Virginia, Mr. MCCARTHY of California, Mr. NUNES, Mr. DRIEHAUS, Ms. 
CASTOR of Florida, Mr. BRALEY of Iowa, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. MCKEON, 
Mr. WALDEN, Ms. KOSMAS, Ms. PINGREE of Maine, Ms. TITUS, Mr. 
HIMES, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. WAMP, Mr. 
KLINE of Minnesota, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. TSONGAS, Mrs. MCMORRIS ROD-
GERS, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. HENSARLING, Mrs. 
BLACKBURN, Mr. CAMP, Mr. MEEK of Florida, Mr. BACA, Mr. CALVERT, 
Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 
TIERNEY, Mr. ISSA, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. CROWLEY, Mrs. DAHLKEMPER, Mr. 
BUCHANAN, Mr. TERRY, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. SERRANO, 
Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida, and 
Mr. SHADEGG 
OCTOBER 8, 2009 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 19, 2009] 
A BILL 
To provide for a federally sanctioned self-determination 
process for the people of Puerto Rico. 
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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 Democracy 
Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. FEDERALLY SANCTIONED PROCESS FOR PUERTO 
RICO’S SELF-DETERMINATION. 
(a) FIRST PLEBISCITE.—The Government of Puerto 
Rico is authorized to conduct a plebiscite in Puerto Rico. 
The 2 options set forth on the ballot shall be preceded by 
the following statement: ‘‘Instructions: Mark one of the fol-
lowing 2 options: 
‘‘(1) Puerto Rico should continue to have its 
present form of political status. If you agree, mark 
here ll. 
‘‘(2) Puerto Rico should have a different political 
status. If you agree, mark here ll.’’. 
(b) PROCEDURE IF MAJORITY IN FIRST PLEBISCITE 
FAVORS OPTION 1.—If a majority of the ballots in the pleb-
iscite are cast in favor of Option 1, the Government of Puer-
to Rico is authorized to conduct additional plebiscites under 
subsection (a) at intervals of every 8 years from the date 
that the results of the prior plebiscite are certified under 
section 3(d). 
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(c) PROCEDURE IF MAJORITY IN FIRST PLEBISCITE 
FAVORS OPTION 2.—If a majority of the ballots in a plebi-
scite conducted pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) are cast 
in favor of Option 2, the Government of Puerto Rico is au-
thorized to conduct a plebiscite on the following 3 options: 
(1) Independence: Puerto Rico should become 
fully independent from the United States. If you 
agree, mark here ll. 
(2) Sovereignty in Association with the United 
States: Puerto Rico and the United States should 
form a political association between sovereign nations 
that will not be subject to the Territorial Clause of the 
United States Constitution. If you agree, mark here 
ll. 
(3) Statehood: Puerto Rico should be admitted as 
a State of the Union. If you agree, mark here ll. 
SEC. 3. APPLICABLE LAWS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) APPLICABLE LAWS.—All Federal laws applicable 
to the election of the Resident Commissioner shall, as appro-
priate and consistent with this Act, also apply to any plebi-
scites held pursuant to this Act. Any reference in such Fed-
eral laws to elections shall be considered, as appropriate, 
to be a reference to the plebiscites, unless it would frustrate 
the purposes of this Act. 
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(b) RULES
AND REGULATIONS.—The Puerto Rico 
State Elections Commission shall issue all rules and regula-
tions necessary to carry out the plebiscites under this Act. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE.—Each of the following shall 
be eligible to vote in any plebiscite held under this Act: 
(1) All eligible voters under the electoral laws in 
effect in Puerto Rico at the time the plebiscite is held. 
(2) All United States citizens born in Puerto 
Rico who comply, to the satisfaction of the Puerto 
Rico State Elections Commission, with all Commis-
sion requirements (other than the residency require-
ment) applicable to eligibility to vote in a general 
election in Puerto Rico. Persons eligible to vote under 
this subsection shall, upon timely request submitted to 
the Commission in compliance with any terms im-
posed by the Electoral Law of Puerto Rico, be entitled 
to receive an absentee ballot for the plebiscite. 
(d) CERTIFICATION OF PLEBISCITE RESULTS.—The 
Puerto Rico State Elections Commission shall certify the 
results of any plebiscite held under this Act to the President 
of the United States and to the Members of the Senate and 
House of Representatives of the United States. 
(e) ENGLISH BALLOTS.—The Puerto Rico State Elec-
tions Commission shall ensure that all ballots used for any 
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Union Calendar No. 164 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2499 
[Report No. 111–294] 
A BILL 
To provide for a federally sanctioned self-deter-
mination process for the people of Puerto Rico. 
OCTOBER 8, 2009 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
22:00 Oct 08, 2009
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PO 00000
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