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‘‘(4) rights, freedoms, and benefits as well as
duties and responsibilities of citizenship, including
payment of Federal taxes, apply in the same manner
as in the several States;
‘‘(5) Puerto Rico is represented by two mem-
bers in the United States Senate and is represented
in the House of Representatives proportionate to the
population;
‘‘(6) United States citizens in Puerto Rico are
enfranchised to vote in elections for the President
and Vice President of the United States; and
‘‘(7) Official English language requirements of
the Federal Government apply in Puerto Rico to the
same extent as Federal law requires throughout the
United States.’’.
(b) TRANSITION STAGE.—
(1) PLAN.—(A) Within 180 days of the receipt
of the results of the referendum from the Govern-
ment of Puerto Rico certifying approval of a ballot
choice of full self-government in a referendum held
pursuant to subsection (a), the President shall de-
velop and submit to Congress legislation for a tran-
sition plan of not more than 10 years which leads
to full self-government for Puerto Rico consistent
with the terms of this Act and the results of the ref-
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erendum and in consultation with officials of the
three branches of the Government of Puerto Rico,
the principal political parties of Puerto Rico, and
other interested persons as may be appropriate.
(B) Additionally, in the event of a vote in favor
of separate sovereignty, the Legislature of Puerto
Rico, if deemed appropriate, may provide by law for
the calling of a constituent convention to formulate,
in accordance with procedures prescribed by law,
Puerto Rico’s proposals and recommendations to im-
plement the referendum results. If a convention is
called for this purpose, any proposals and rec-
ommendations formally adopted by such convention
within time limits of this Act shall be transmitted to
Congress by the President with the transition plan
required by this section, along with the views of the
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 continued United States sovereignty leading to
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Statehood, the transition plan required by this sub-
section shall—
(i) include proposals and incentives to in-
crease the opportunities of the people of Puerto
Rico to expand their English proficiency in
order to promote and facilitate communication
with residents of all other States of the United
States and with the Federal Government, in-
cluding teaching in English in public schools,
awarding fellowships and scholarships, and pro-
viding grants to organizations located in various
communities that have, as a purpose, the pro-
motion of English language skills;
(ii) promote the use of English by the
United States citizens in Puerto Rico in order
to ensure—
(I) efficiency in the conduct and co-
ordination of the official business activities
of the Federal and State Governments;
(II) that the citizens possess the lan-
guage skill necessary to contribute to and
participate in all aspects of the Nation;
and
(III) the ability of all citizens of Puer-
to Rico to take full advantage of the oppor-
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tunities and responsibilities accorded to all
citizens, including education, economic ac-
tivities, occupational opportunities, and
civic affairs; and
(iii) include the effective date of incorpora-
tion, thereby permitting the greatest degree of
flexibility for the phase-in of Federal programs
and the development of the economy through
fiscal incentives, alternative tax arrangements,
and other measures.
(D) In the event of a vote in favor of Common-
wealth, the Government of Puerto Rico may call a
Special Convention to develop proposals for submis-
sion to the President and the Congress for changes
in Federal policy on matters of economic and social
concern to the people of Puerto Rico. The President
and the Congress, as appropriate, shall expeditiously
consider any such proposals. The Commonwealth
would assume any expenses related to increased re-
sponsibilities resulting from such proposals.
(2) 
CONGRESSIONAL
CONSIDERATION.—The
plan shall be considered by the Congress in accord-
ance with section 6.
(3) PUERTO RICAN APPROVAL.—
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(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.
(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 a joint resolution with a rec-
ommendation for the date of termination of the
transition and the date of implementation of full
self-government for Puerto Rico within the transi-
tion period consistent with the ballot choice ap-
proved under subsection (a).
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(2) 
CONGRESSIONAL
CONSIDERATION.—The
joint resolution shall be considered by the Congress
in accordance 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.
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
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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
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receipt of the results of the referendum regarding
completion of the self-determination process for
Puerto Rico under the authority of Congress.
(2) 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 4(a) does not result in a major-
ity vote for separate sovereignty or statehood, there
is authorized to be further referenda in accordance
with this Act, but not less than once every 10 years.
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
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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
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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
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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)—
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(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
(iii) after passage of the legislation, the legisla-
tion of the other House shall be considered as
amended with the text of the legislation just passed
and shall be considered as passed, and that House
shall be considered to have insisted on its amend-
ment and requested a conference with the other
House.
(2) Upon disposition of the legislation described in
subsection (a) that is received by one House from the
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other House, it shall no longer be in order to consider such
legislation that was introduced in the receiving House.
(e) CONFERENCE.—Upon receiving from the other
House a message in which that House insists upon its
amendment to the legislation and requests a conference
with the House of Representatives or the Senate, as the
case may be, on the disagreeing votes thereon, the House
receiving the request shall be considered to have disagreed
to the amendment of the other House and agreed to the
conference requested by that House.
(f) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of this section,
the term ‘‘legislative day’’ means a day on which the
House of Representatives or the Senate, as appropriate,
is in session.
(g) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWER.—The provi-
sions of this section are enacted by the Congress—
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of
the Senate and the House of Representatives and, as
such, shall be considered as part of the rules of each
House and shall supersede other rules only to the
extent that they are inconsistent therewith; and
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional
right of either House to change the rules (so far as
they relate to the procedures of that House) at any