An Act to provide that the unincorporated territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands shall each be represented in Congress by a Delegate to the House of Representatives
PL 92-271 (H.R.8787), enacted 04/10/1972

118 
April 6, 1972 
[H. R. 9526] 
PUBLIC LAW 92-270-APR. 6, 1972 
Public Law 92-270 
"''• 
•• ' " . . "^' 
[86 STAT. 
AN ACT 
To authorize certiiin naval vessel loans, and for other iinrposes. 
Naval vessels. 
Loans to foreign 
countries. 
70A Stat. 452. 
75 Stat. 424. 
22 u s e 2151 
note. 
Presidential 
authority, termi-
nation date. 
Loan periods. 
Termination 
conditions. 
Information to 
Congress. 
Rules and 
regulations. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and Flouse of Repi^esentatives of the 
United States of Amenca in Congress assembled, That, notwitlistand-
iiig section 7307 of title 10, United States Code, or any other provision 
of law, the President may lend five destroyers and tAvo submarines to 
the Government of Spain; one destroyer and two submarines to the 
Government of Turkey; two destroyers to the Government of Greece; 
two destroyers to the Republic of Korea; and two submarines to the 
Government of Italy in addition to any ships previously authorized to 
be loaned to these nations, with or without reimbursement and on such 
terms and under such conditions as the President may deem appro-
priate. All expenses involved in the activation, rehabilitation, and 
outfitting (including repairs, alterations, and logistic support) of 
ships transferred vmder this Act shall be charged to funds programed 
for the recipient government as grant military assistance under the 
provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, or 
successor legislation, or to funds provided by the recipient govern-
ment. The authority of the Pi'esident to lend naval vessels under 
this section shall terminate on December 31, 1974. 
SEC. 2. I^ans executed under this Act shall be for periods, not exceed-
ing five years, at the end of which, each ship shall be returned to 
the United States Navy at a location to be designated by the Secretary 
of Defence. Loans executed under this Act shall be made subject to the 
condition that the loan may be terminated by the President if he finds 
that the armed forces of the borrowing country have engaged at any 
time after the date of such loan, in acts of warfare against any country 
which is a party to a mutual defense treaty ratified by the United 
States. Loans shall be made on the condition that they shall be ter-
minated at an earlier date if the President determines they no longer 
contribute to the defense requirements of the United States. 
SEC. 3. No loan may be made under this x
A
^
c
t unless the Secretary of 
Defense, after consultation with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, determines 
that such loan is in the best interest of the United States. The Secretary 
of Defense shall keep the Congress currently advised of all loans made 
or extended under this Act. 
SEC. 4. The President may promulgate such rules and regulations 
as he deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 5. Any loan made to a country under this Act shall not be con-
strued as a commitment by the United States to the defense of that 
coimtry. 
, 
Approved April 6, 1972. 
April 10, 1972 
[H. R. 8787] 
Public Law 92-271 
.'",. 
= , .. 
AN ACT 
• -
To provide that the unincorporated territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands 
shall each be represented in Congress by a Delegate to the House of 
Representatives. 
Guam and Virgin 
Islands. 
Delegate to the 
House of Repre-
sentatives. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the territory 
of Guam and the territory of the Virgin Islands each shall be repre-
sented in the United States Congress by a nonvoting Delegate to the 
House of Representatives, elected as hereinafter provided. 
86 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 9 2 - 2 7 1 - A P R . 10, 1972 
'119 
SEC. 2. (a) The Delegate shall be elected by the people qualified to 
Election. 
vote for the members of the legislature of the territory he is to repre-
sent at the general election of 1972, and thereafter at such general 
election every second year thereafter. The Delegate shall be elected at 
large, by separate ballot and by a majority of the votes cast for the 
office of Delegate. If no candidate receives such majority, on the 
fourteenth day following such election a runoff election shall be held 
between the candidates receiving the highest and the second highest 
number of votes cast for the office of Delegate. In case of a permanent 
vacancy. 
vacancy in the office of Delegate, by reason of death, resignation, or 
•permanent disability, the office of Delegate shall remain vacant until 
a successor shall have been elected and qualified. 
(b) The term of the Delegate shall commence on the third day of 
January following the date of the election. 
SEC. 3. To be eligible for the Office of Delegate a candidate must— 
Eligibility. 
(a) be at least twenty-five years of age on the date of the 
election, 
(b) have been a citizen of the United States for at least seven 
years prior to the date of the election, 
(c) be an inhabitant of the territory from which he is elected, 
and 
(d) not be, on the date of the election, a candidate for any other 
office. 
SEC. 4. The legislature of each territory may determine the order of le^iYi^t^i^^eiec-
names on the ballot for election of Delegate, the method by which a tion procedures, 
special election to fill a vacancy in the office of Delegate shall be con-
ducted, the method by which ties between candidates for the office of 
Delegate shall be resolved, and all other matters of local application 
pertaining to the election and the office of Delegate not otherwise 
^ .-. .' 
expressly provided for herein. 
SEC. 5. The Delegate from Guam and the Delegate from the Virgin aif;ranc"e sTttc! 
Islands shall have such privileges in the House of Representatives as 
may be afforded him under the Rules of the House of Representatives. 
Until the Rules of the House of Representatives are amended to pro-
vide otherwise, the Delegate from each territory shall receive the same 
,
»
^ • y ,,j 
compensation, allowances, and benefits as a Member of the House of 
Representatives, and shall be entitled to whatever privileges and 
immunities are, or hereinafter may be, granted to the Resident Com-
missioner for Puerto Rico: Provided, 
That the right to vote in 
committee shall be as provided by the Rules of the House of Repre-
sentatives : Provided further, That the clerk hire allowance of each ^^f^^J^ ^'""^ 
Delegate shall be a single per annum gross rate that is 60 per centum 
of the clerk hire allowance of a Member: Provided further, That the ^^Transportation 
transportation expenses of each Delegate that are subject to reimburse-
ment under section 1 of the Act of September 17, 1967 (81 Stat. 226, 
,2 U.S.C. 43b), shall not exceed the cost of four round trips each year. 
^^ stat. 128. 
Approved April 10, 1972. 
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