Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2021
- Last Action
- 3/18/2021
Actions
- 2021-03-18Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 2021-03-18Introduced in Senate
CRS Summary
As of 2021-03-18 (00)
Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2021
This bill establishes a process for the people of Puerto Rico to vote on the political status (e.g., statehood) of the territory. Congress may ratify the decision through a joint resolution.
The bill declares that the legislature of Puerto Rico has the authority to call a status convention regarding the political status of the territory.
The bill provides for public financing of delegate elections to the status convention and establishes a Congressional Bilateral Negotiating Commission to provide advice and consultation to delegates of the status convention.
The status convention must provide self-determination options for a referendum of the people of Puerto Rico. Ranked-choice voting is a permitted format for the referendum. Delegates shall carry out an educational campaign through traditional paid media related to the referendum.
The bill provides for congressional consideration of a joint resolution to ratify the self-determination option selected through the referendum.
Cosponsors (11)
- Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
- Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
- Cory Booker (D-NJ)
- Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
- Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
- Edward Markey (D-MA)
- Roger Wicker (R-MS)
- Richard Burr (R-NC)
- Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
- Richard Durbin (D-IL)
- Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Subjects
- Advisory bodies
- Caribbean area
- Congressional oversight
- Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
- Government information and archives
- Government trust funds
- Legislative rules and procedure
- Political representation
- Puerto Rico
- Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
- State and local government operations
- U.S. territories and protectorates
Sourced from Congress.gov (public domain).
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.