President regarding the compatibility of such pro-
posals and recommendations with the United States
Constitution and this Act, and identifying which, if
any, of such proposals and recommendations have
been addressed in the President’s proposed transi-
tion plan.
(C) Additionally, in the event of a vote in favor
of United States sovereignty leading to Statehood,
the President shall include in the transition plan
provided for in this Act, proposals and incentives to
increase the opportunities of the people of Puerto
Rico to learn to speak, read, write, and understand
English fully, including but not limited to, the teach-
ing of English in public schools, fellowships, and
scholarships. The transition plan should promote the
usage of English by the United States citizens of
Puerto Rico, in order to best allow for—
(i) the enhancement of the century old
practice of English as an official language of
Puerto Rico, consistent with the preservation of
our Nation’s unity in diversity and the preven-
tion of divisions along linguistic lines;
(ii) the use of language skills necessary to
contribute most effectively to the Nation in all
aspects, including but not limited to Hemi-
spheric trade, and for citizens to enjoy the full
rights and benefits of their citizenship;
(iii) the promotion of efficiency and fair-
ness to all people in the conduct of the Federal
and State government’s official business; and
(iv) the ability of all citizens to take full
advantage of the economical, educational, and
occupational opportunities through full integra-
tion with the United States.
(2) 
CONGRESSIONAL
CONSIDERATION.—The
plan shall be considered by the Congress in accord-
ance with section 6.
(3) PUERTO RICAN APPROVAL.—
(A) Not later than 180 days after enact-
ment of an Act pursuant to paragraph (1) pro-
viding for the transition to full self-government
for Puerto Rico as approved in the initial deci-
sion referendum held under subsection (a), a
referendum shall be held under the applicable
provisions of Puerto Rico’s electoral law on the
question of approval of the transition plan.
(B) Approval must be by a majority of the
valid votes cast. The results of the referendum
shall be certified to the President of the United
States.
(4) EFFECTIVE DATE FOR TRANSITION PLAN.—
The President of the United States shall issue a
proclamation announcing the effective date of the
transition plan to full self-government for Puerto
Rico.
(c) IMPLEMENTATION STAGE.—
(1) PRESIDENTIAL
RECOMMENDATION.—Not
less than two years prior to the end of the period
of the transition provided for in the transition plan
approved under subsection (b), the President shall
submit to Congress legislation with a recommenda-
tion for the implementation of full self-government
for Puerto Rico consistent with the ballot choice ap-
proved under subsection (a).
(2) 
CONGRESSIONAL
CONSIDERATION.—The
plan shall be considered by the Congress in accord-
ance with section 6.
(3) PUERTO RICAN APPROVAL.—
(A) Within 180 days after enactment of
the terms of implementation for full self-govern-
ment for Puerto Rico, a referendum shall be
held under the applicable provisions of Puerto
Rico’s electoral laws on the question of the ap-
proval of the terms of implementation for full
self-government for Puerto Rico.
(B) Approval must be by a majority of the
valid votes cast. The results of the referendum
shall be certified to the President of the United
States.
(4) EFFECTIVE DATE OF FULL SELF-GOVERN-
MENT.—The President of the United States shall
issue a proclamation announcing the date of imple-
mentation of full self-government for Puerto Rico.
SEC. 5. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO REFERENDA, IN-
CLUDING INCONCLUSIVE REFERENDUM AND
APPLICABLE LAWS.
(a) APPLICABLE LAWS.—
(1) 
REFERENDA
UNDER
PUERTO
RICAN
LAWS.—The referenda held under this Act shall be
conducted in accordance with the applicable laws of
Puerto Rico, including laws of Puerto Rico under
which voter eligibility is determined and which re-
quire United States citizenship and establish other
statutory requirements for voter eligibility of resi-
dents and nonresidents.
(2) FEDERAL LAWS.—The Federal laws appli-
cable to the election of the Resident Commissioner
of Puerto Rico shall, as appropriate and consistent
with this Act, also apply to the referenda. Any ref-
erence in such Federal laws to elections shall be con-
sidered, as appropriate, to be a reference to the
referenda, unless it would frustrate the purposes of
this Act.
(b) CERTIFICATION OF REFERENDA RESULTS.—The
results of each referendum held under this Act shall be
certified to the President of the United States and the
Senate and House of Representatives of the United States
by the Government of Puerto Rico.
(c) CONSULTATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IN-
CONCLUSIVE REFERENDUM.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—If a referendum provided in
section 4(b) or (c) of this Act does not result in ap-
proval of a fully self-governing status, the President,
in consultation with officials of the three branches of
the Government of Puerto Rico, the principal politi-
cal parties of Puerto Rico, and other interested per-
sons as may be appropriate, shall make rec-
ommendations to the Congress within 180 days of
receipt of the results of the referendum.
(2) EXISTING STRUCTURE TO REMAIN IN EF-
FECT.—If the inhabitants of the territory do not
achieve full self-governance through either integra-
tion into the Union or separate sovereignty in the
form of independence or free association, Puerto
Rico will remain an unincorporated territory of the
United States, subject to the authority of Congress
under Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 of the United
States Constitution. In that event, the existing Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico structure for local self-
government will remain in effect, subject to such
other measures as may be adopted by Congress in
the exercise of it’s Territorial Clause powers to de-
termine the disposition of the territory and status of
it’s inhabitants.
(3) AUTHORITY OF CONGRESS TO DETERMINE
STATUS.—Since current unincorporated territory
status of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is not
a permanent, unalterable or guaranteed status under
the Constitution of the United States, Congress re-
tains plenary authority and responsibility to deter-
mine a permanent status for Puerto Rico consistent
with the national interest. The Congress historically
has recognized a commitment to take into consider-
ation the freely expressed wishes of the people of
Puerto Rico regarding their future political status.
This policy is consistent with respect for the right of
self-determination in areas which are not fully self-
governing, but does not constitute a legal restriction
or binding limitation on the Territorial Clause pow-
ers of Congress to determine a permanent status of
Puerto Rico. Nor does any such restriction or limita-
tion arise from the Puerto Rico Federal Relations
Act (48 U.S.C. 731 et seq.).
(4) ADDITIONAL REFERENDA.—To ensure that
the Congress is able on a continuing basis to exer-
cise its Territorial Clause powers with due regard
for the wishes of the people of Puerto Rico respect-
ing resolution of Puerto Rico’s permanent future po-
litical status, in the event that a referendum con-
ducted under section four is inconclusive as provided
in this subsection, or a majority vote to continue the
Commonwealth structure as a territory, there shall
be another referendum in accordance with this Act
prior to the expiration of a period of four years from
the date such inconclusive results are certified or de-
termined. This procedure shall be repeated every
four years, but not in a general election year, until
Puerto Rico’s unincorporated territory status is ter-
minated in favor of a recognized form of full self-
government in accordance with this Act.
SEC. 6. CONGRESSIONAL PROCEDURES FOR CONSIDER-
ATION OF LEGISLATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The majority leader of the House
of Representatives (or his designee) and the majority lead-
er of the Senate (or his designee) shall each introduce leg-
islation (by request) providing for the transition plan
under section 4(b) and the implementation recommenda-
tion under section 4(c) not later than 5 legislative days
after the date of receipt by Congress of the submission
by the President under that section, as the case may be.
(b) REFERRAL.—The legislation shall be referred on
the date of introduction to the appropriate committee or
committees in accordance with rules of the respective
Houses. The legislation shall be reported not later than
the 120th calendar day after the date of its introduction.
If any such committee fails to report the bill within that
period, that committee shall be automatically discharged
from consideration of the legislation, and the legislation
shall be placed on the appropriate calendar.
(c) CONSIDERATION.—
(1) After the 14th legislative day after the date
on which the last committee of the House of Rep-
resentatives or the Senate, as the case may be, has
reported or been discharged from further consider-
ation of such legislation, it is in order after the legis-
lation has been on the calendar for 14 legislative
days for any Member of that House in favor of the
legislation to move to proceed to the consideration of
the legislation (after consultation with the presiding
officer of that House as to scheduling) to move to
proceed to its consideration at any time after the
third legislative day on which the Member announces
to the respective House concerned the Member’s in-
tention to do so. All points of order against the mo-
tion to proceed and against consideration of that
motion are waived. The motion is highly privileged
in the House of Representatives and is privileged in
the Senate and is not debatable. The motion is not
subject to amendment, or to a motion to postpone,
or to a motion to proceed to the consideration of
other business. A motion to reconsider the vote by
which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall
not be in order. If a motion to proceed to the consid-
eration of the legislation is agreed to, the respective
House shall immediately proceed to consideration of
the legislation without intervening motion (exception
one motion to adjourn), order, or other business.
(2)(A) In the House of Representatives, during
consideration of the legislation in the Committee of
the Whole, the first reading of the legislation shall
be dispensed with. General debate shall be confined
to the legislation, and shall not exceed 4 hours
equally divided and controlled by a proponent and
an opponent of the legislation. After general debate,
the legislation shall be considered as read for
amendment under the five-minute rule. Consider-
ation of the legislation for amendment shall not ex-
ceed 4 hours excluding time for recorded votes and
quorum calls. At the conclusion of the bill for
amendment, the Committee shall rise and report the
bill to the House with such amendments as may
have been adopted. The previous question shall be
considered as ordered on the legislation and amend-
ments thereto to final passage without intervening
motion, except one motion to recommit with or with-
out instructions. A motion to reconsider the vote on
passage of the legislation shall not be in order.
(B) In the Senate, debate on the legislation,
and all amendments thereto and debatable motions
and appeals in connection therewith, shall be limited
to not more than 25 hours. The time shall be equally
divided between, and controlled by, the majority
leader and the minority leader or their designees. No
amendment that is not germane to the provisions of
such legislation shall be received. A motion to fur-
ther limit debate is not debatable.
(3) Appeals from the decisions of the Chair re-
lating to the application of the rules of the Senate
or the House of Representatives, as the case may be,
to the procedure relating to the legislation described
in subsection (a) shall be decided without debate.
(d) CONSIDERATION BY OTHER HOUSE.—(1) If, be-
fore the passage by one House of the legislation described
in subsection (a) that was introduced in that House, that
House receives from the other House the legislation de-
scribed in subsection (a)—
(A) the legislation of the other House shall not
be referred to a committee and may not be consid-
ered in the House that receives it otherwise than on
final passage under subparagraph (B)(ii) or (iii);
and
(B)(i) the procedure in the House that receives
such legislation with respect to such legislation that
was introduced in that House shall be the same as
if no legislation had been received from the other
House; but
(ii) in the case of legislation received from the
other House that is identical to the legislation as en-
grossed by the receiving House, the vote on final
passage shall be on the legislation of the other
House; or