Washington, D.C. - Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today announced the introduction of the Puerto Rico Status Act with original co-sponsors Small Business Committee Chair Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.), Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R-Puerto Rico), Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.), and Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.). The bill is a historic proposal that lays out a process for the people of Puerto Rico to make an informed choice on their political future that Congress would be required to implement.: https://bit.ly/3o8pQ6C A fact sheet on the bill is available in English here and in Spanish here.
Key provisions of the Puerto Rico Status Act include:
* Authorizes a federally sponsored plebiscite to resolve Puerto Rico’s political status.
* Specifies and defines Puerto Rico’s non-territory status options: Statehood, Independence, and Sovereignty in Free Association with the United States.
* Provides for an objective, nonpartisan, federally funded voter education campaign leading up to the vote.
* Establishes a process and timeline for the U.S. Department of Justice to review the plebiscite voter education materials and plebiscite ballot design.
* Authorizes necessary funds to carry out an initial plebiscite and, if necessary, a runoff plebiscite.
* Describes the transition to and implementation of each status option in sufficient detail for eligible voters in Puerto Rico to make an informed choice.
* Ensures implementation of the option that is chosen by a majority of eligible voters in Puerto Rico.
On May 19, the lawmakers announced the Discussion Draft of the Puerto Rico Status Act with House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Governor of Puerto Rico Pedro R. Pierluisi. The Discussion Draft was the product of a collaborative effort spanning several months between the sponsors of the Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act (H.R. 1522 ) introduced by Rep. Soto and the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act (H.R. 2070 ) introduced by Rep. Velázquez.
Following release of the Discussion Draft, the Natural Resources Committee launched an innovative online public input process using a submission tool called POPVOX, which allowed any member of the public to review the Discussion Draft text and provide input. The Committee received approximately 120 public comments. In addition, Chair Grijalva, Rep. Velázquez, Rep. González-Colón, and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez traveled to Puerto Rico from June 2-4 to meet with Governor Pierluisi, local elected officials, leaders of political parties, and members of the public to seek additional input on the Discussion Draft. The three-day visit included a day-long public input forum, which was recorded and transcribed.
Public comments and input from the visit were considered and incorporated as changes to the Discussion Draft before finalizing the text of the Puerto Rico Status Act. Based on the feedback provided by the people of Puerto Rico, the final bill:
* Clarifies that approval of a political status option must be by more than 50 percent of the valid votes cast.
* On citizenship, clarifies that if voters choose Sovereignty in Free Association with the United States,
** during the implementation of the first Articles of Free Association, an individual born in Puerto Rico to two parents who are citizens of the U.S. shall be a U.S. citizen at birth under subsection (c) of section 301 (c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act if otherwise eligible.
** after the first Articles of Free Association, an individual born in Puerto Rico after the proclamation of international sovereignty through free association to at least one parent who became a U.S. citizen under section 302 of the Immigration and Nationality Act is not a U.S. citizen at birth.
* Includes new ballot information explaining the U.S. federal tax law implications under the three non-territory status options on the ballot for individuals and business in Puerto Rico.
* Clarifies that the transition and implementation of any non-territory status option requires conforming amendments to existing federal law.
“Finding a resolution to Puerto Rico’s political status has been one of my top priorities as Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee. But I know that the decolonization of Puerto Rico shouldn’t be a decision made by lawmakers in Washington alone. That’s why I’m so proud of both the work and commitment of my colleagues toward incorporating feedback from the leaders and residents of Puerto Rico into this final bill.
“I thank Leader Hoyer, the Governor of Puerto Rico, the Members of Congress-Reps. Velázquez, Soto, González-Colón and Ocasio Cortez-the federal agencies, and congressional staff that participated in this complex process, which started more than a year ago, for their commitment and support. I am also grateful to every person who took the time to weigh in on this historic legislation, and I am confident we have a bill that will finally put the future of Puerto Rico in the hands of those who live there. I’m looking forward to bringing the Puerto Rico Status Act before the full Committee next week," said Natural Resources Committee Chair Grijalva.
“After months of deliberate negotiations, I’m pleased that we now have a deal and are ready to move forward on the Puerto Rico Status Act," said Velázquez. “From the start, my proposal has focused on empowering the people of Puerto Rico to determine their own future. After releasing the discussion draft, we visited the island to meet with a diverse group of stakeholders whose feedback we listened to and have incorporated. In this bill, we have a compromise that does not stack the deck in favor of one outcome or another but establishes a fair and democratic process for self-determination. I thank my counterparts, both Democrat and Republican for their good-faith efforts in putting this legislation together," said Committee on Small Business Chair Velázquez.
"I am proud of the joint collaborative effort that we have achieved to provide a mechanism to end Puerto Rico’s unjust territorial status. With this legislation, Congress rejects the status quo and allows voters to decide their future with three constitutionally viable options. As a statehood supporter, I am confident the people of Puerto Rico will ratify their desire to become a permanent part of the Union on an equal footing with our fellow Americans," said Resident Commissioner González-Colón.
“I am thrilled to have worked with my colleagues to come to this agreement for our Puerto Rican brothers and sisters. Through our conversations, I believe we have laid out all options and given a voice to all points of view on the island. Our legislation, the Puerto Rico Status Act, finally allows Puerto Ricans to get out of the political limbo they have struggled under for so many years and have a say on the path toward decolonization. Next week, we will have a vote in the Natural Resources Committee and move this meaningful bill forward." said Rep. Darren Soto.
“Puerto Ricans deserve to have a say in determining their future status, and the Puerto Rico Status Act gives them the opportunity to do so. While I have long hoped that they will choose to join our union as a state, it is essential that the people of Puerto Rico - and they alone - make the decision about their future. I’m proud to have worked with Chairman Grijalva, Chairwoman Velázquez, Resident Commissioner González-Colón, Rep. Darren Soto, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Governor Pierluisi - all of whom participated in these negotiations in good faith to reach the agreement that made this bill possible, and I look forward to bringing it to the Floor for a vote soon," said House Majority Leader Hoyer.
