I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1230 
To recognize the right of the People of Puerto Rico to call a Constitutional 
Convention through which the people would exercise their natural right 
to self-determination, and to establish a mechanism for congressional 
consideration of such decision. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 28, 2007 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ (for herself, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. WICKER, Mr. DUNCAN, 
Mr. RANGEL, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. 
BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. SIRES, Mr. UDALL of New Mex-
ico, Mr. HONDA, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. MEEKS 
of New York, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, and Ms. SOLIS) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
Resources 
A BILL 
To recognize the right of the People of Puerto Rico to 
call a Constitutional Convention through which the peo-
ple would exercise their natural right to self-determina-
tion, and to establish a mechanism for congressional 
consideration of such decision. 
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 Self-De-
termination Act of 2007’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purposes of this Act: 
(1) COMMONWEALTH.—The term ‘‘Common-
wealth’’ means the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 
(2) SELF-DETERMINATION OPTION.—The term 
‘‘Self-Determination Option’’ means an option 
agreed to by a Constitutional Convention in the 
Commonwealth for a new or modified Common-
wealth status, Statehood, or Independence. A Self- 
Determination Option must be based on the sov-
ereignty of the People of Puerto Rico and not sub-
ject to the plenary powers of the territorial clause of 
the Constitution of the United States. 
(3) 
SELF-DETERMINATION
PROPOSAL.—The 
term ‘‘Self-Determination Proposal’’ means a Self 
Determination Option approved by the People of 
Puerto Rico in a referendum held pursuant to sec-
tion 4(b). 
(4) PEOPLE
OF
PUERTO
RICO.—The term 
‘‘People of Puerto Rico’’ means residents in the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and non-resident 
Puerto Ricans. 
(5) NON-RESIDENT PUERTO RICANS.—The term 
‘‘non-resident Puerto Ricans’’ refers to individuals 
who are not legal residents of the Commonwealth of 
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Puerto Rico and who are either born in Puerto Rico 
or have one parent born in Puerto Rico. 
(6) CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.—The term 
‘‘Constitutional Convention’’ means a Convention of 
delegates elected by the People of Puerto Rico and 
convened pursuant to legislation approved by the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 
SEC. 3. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. 
Congress recognizes the inherent authority of the 
People of Puerto Rico to call a Constitutional Convention, 
constituted by a number of delegates to be determined in 
accordance to legislation approved by the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, for the purpose of proposing to the People 
of Puerto Rico a Self-Determination Option, which if ap-
proved by the People of Puerto Rico in a referendum 
would be presented to Congress by the Constitutional Con-
vention as a Self-Determination Proposal. 
SEC. 4. SELF-DETERMINATION OPTION AND PROPOSAL. 
(a) CONSIDERATION OF SELF-DETERMINATION PRO-
POSAL.— 
(1) APPROVAL OF PROPOSAL.—If the People of 
Puerto Rico approve the Self-Determination Pro-
posal in a referendum, a joint resolution of Congress 
shall be enacted approving the terms of the Self-De-
termination Proposal, including provisions necessary 
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to implement the Self-Determination Proposal. If 
Congress approves the Self-Determination Proposal 
with any changes or amendments, it shall be sub-
mitted in a referendum vote to the People of Puerto 
Rico for approval before it shall be effective. 
(2) REJECTION OF PROPOSAL.—If a Self-Deter-
mination Proposal is rejected by Congress or is re-
jected by the People of Puerto Rico in a referendum 
held pursuant to paragraph (1), the Constitutional 
Convention may reconvene for the purpose of delib-
erating to adopt another Self-Determination Option 
to propose to the People of Puerto Rico and Con-
gress. 
SEC. 5. CONVENTION IN CONTINUOUS SESSION. 
A Constitutional Convention held pursuant to this 
Act may remain in session until a Self-Determination Pro-
posal is enacted by Federal law. 
Æ 
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