I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 260 
To enable the admission of the territory of Puerto Rico into the Union 
as a State, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 4, 2017 
Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N of Puerto Rico introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To enable the admission of the territory of Puerto Rico 
into the Union as a State, 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 legislation may be cited as the ‘‘Puerto Rico Ad-
mission Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) The territory of Puerto Rico has a popu-
lation of more than 3.4 million, and United States 
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citizenship has been granted to individuals born in 
the islands for one hundred years. 
(2) The territory has an insular government 
that, subject to Federal law, exercises authority 
similar to that possessed by the governments of the 
several States. 
(3) The United States citizens of Puerto Rico 
are not treated equally in Federal law with citizens 
in the States and do not have representation in their 
national government other than that provided by a 
sole resident commissioner who can only vote in 
committees of the House of Representatives to which 
she or he is assigned. 
(4) An overwhelming majority of the United 
States citizens residing in Puerto Rico want to re-
place territory status with a permanent form of gov-
ernment that provides for equality and for demo-
cratic representation in the making of their national 
laws. 
(5) It has been the longstanding policy of the 
United States that the American citizens of the ter-
ritory can determine whether it should eventually be-
come a State or a nation. 
(6) In a plebiscite held in Puerto Rico under 
local law, a majority of the vote rejected continu-
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ation of the current territory status, with more than 
61.1 percent petitioning the Congress and the Presi-
dent for statehood and a transition to equality and 
permanence within the Union of States. 
(7) Public Law 113–76 responded to the plebi-
scite under territorial law by providing for a plebi-
scite under Federal law on an option or options pro-
posed by the Elections Commission of Puerto Rico 
that can resolve the question of the territory’s status 
and are found by the Department of Justice to not 
conflict with the Constitution, laws, and policies of 
the United States. 
(8) The Governor, two-thirds majorities of each 
house of the Legislative Assembly, and the Resident 
Commissioner of Puerto Rico elected in November 
2016 were voted into office on a platform of seeking 
equality and permanence for Puerto Rico within the 
United States. 
(9) Puerto Rico is treated as a State for the 
purposes of most laws but is not treated equally with 
the States under dozens of statutes, including some 
providing for major health and other programs for 
individuals with critical needs and in a number of 
revenue measures. 
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(10) The limitations of, and treatment under, 
territory status has left Puerto Rico under-developed 
and substantially contributed to its economy being 
weak for four decades and in depression for the last 
one. 
(11) Millions of the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico 
have moved to a State for the greater opportunity 
and better way of life possible in a State. 
(12) Equality within the Nation is required for 
a healthy American economy and essential for Puer-
to Rico’s social and economic health as well as for 
basic reasons of democracy. 
(13) Puerto Ricans have contributed greatly to 
the Nation in all fields of endeavor both in war and 
in peace. 
(14) Puerto Rico should be transitioned into 
equality within the Union. 
SEC. 3. PROCESS FOR REPLACING TERRITORY STATUS. 
(a) Consistent with Public Law 113–76, it is the pol-
icy of the United States that the U.S. citizens of Puerto 
Rico may choose whether Puerto Rico will become a State 
or a nation through a plebiscite under that law. 
(b) If the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico reaffirm the 
territory’s choice of statehood through a plebiscite under 
Public Law 113–76, Federal laws that do not apply to 
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Puerto Rico or apply differently to the territory than to 
the several States are amended or repealed to phase in 
the equal treatment of Puerto Rico with the several States 
by January 3, 2025, as shall be provided for in a plan 
submitted to the Congress and the President not later 
than 270 days after the enactment of this Act by the 
President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status, and 
Puerto Rico shall become a State on January 3, 2025. 
SEC. 4. FEDERAL OFFICES. 
(a) PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT.—With re-
spect to the election for the offices of President and Vice 
President in November 2024— 
(1) Puerto Rico shall be considered a State for 
purposes of chapter 21 of title 3, United States 
Code, and the electors of Puerto Rico shall be con-
sidered electors of a State for purposes of such 
chapter; and 
(2) for purposes of section 3 of such title, the 
number of electors from Puerto Rico shall be equal 
to the number of Senators and Representatives to 
which Puerto Rico is entitled during the One Hun-
dred Nineteenth Congress, as determined in accord-
ance with subsection (b). 
(b) CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.— 
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(1) REPRESENTATIVES.—Effective on the first 
day of the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress, the 
number of Representatives of States in the House of 
Representatives shall be increased by the number of 
Representatives of the State with the population 
closest to that of Puerto Rico in the 2020 decennial 
census and the additional seats shall be occupied by 
Representatives of Puerto Rico. The Clerk of the 
House of Representatives shall transmit to the Gov-
ernor of Puerto Rico and the Speaker of the House 
of Representatives a certificate of the number of 
Representatives to which Puerto Rico will be entitled 
not later than January 3, 2024. 
(2) ELECTION.—The regularly scheduled gen-
eral elections for Federal office held in Puerto Rico 
in November 2024 shall include the election of two 
Senators and the number of Representatives of 
Puerto Rico provided for in paragraph (1) of this 
subsection, all of whom shall first take office on 
January 3, 2025. The Senate shall determine the 
class to which each of the Senators shall be as-
signed. 
(3) RESIDENT COMMISSIONER.—Section 36 of 
the Act of March 2, 1917, 39 Stat. 963, and section 
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1 of the Act of June 22, 1906, 34 Stat. 417, as 
amended, are repealed effective January 3, 2025. 
(4) PRIMARY ELECTIONS.—The Government of 
Puerto Rico may hold primary elections for the of-
fices described in this section at such time and in 
such manner as it may provide, so long as such elec-
tions are held in the manner required by the laws 
applicable to elections for Federal office. 
SEC. 5. PROCLAMATION. 
Following the transition process set forth in section 
3, the President shall issue a proclamation declaring that 
Puerto Rico is admitted into the Union on an equal foot-
ing with the other States, effective January 3, 2025, and 
Puerto Rico shall be so admitted. 
SEC. 6. STATE. 
Upon the admission of Puerto Rico into the Union 
as a State— 
(a) STATE CONSTITUTION.—The Constitution of the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall be accepted as the 
Constitution of the State. 
(b) TERRITORY.—The State shall consist of all of the 
territory, together with the waters included in the seaward 
boundary, of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 
(c) CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT.—The individuals 
holding legislative, executive, and judicial offices of the 
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Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall continue to discharge 
the duties of their respective offices. 
(d) CONTINUITY OF LAWS.— 
(1) TERRITORY LAW.—All of the laws of Puerto 
Rico shall continue in force and effect in the State, 
except as may be modified consistent with this Act, 
and shall be subject to repeal or amendment by the 
Legislative Assembly and the Governor of the sov-
ereign State of Puerto Rico. 
(2) FEDERAL
LAW.—All of the laws of the 
United States shall have the same force and effect 
as on the date immediately prior to the date of ad-
mission of Puerto Rico into the Union as a State, 
except for any provision of law that treats Puerto 
Rico and its residents differently than the States of 
the Union and their residents, which shall be amend-
ed as of the date of admission to treat the State of 
Puerto Rico and its residents equally with the other 
States of the Union and their residents. 
Æ 
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