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CS/HM 147 — Status of Puerto Rico
by Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee; and Rep. Cortes, B. and others (SM 940 by Senators Rodriguez, Torres, and Campbell)
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Rules Committee (RC)
The memorial urges Congress to incorporate the territory and resident United States citizens of Puerto Rico into the United States and apply, without discrimination or inequality, all law and policy in Puerto Rico on the same basis as in a state of the Union.
Puerto Rico is currently classified as an “unincorporated territory.” An unincorporated territory is an area where Congress has not expressly and fully extended all of the United States Constitution within the meaning of Article IV, Section 3. In contrast, an “incorporated territory” is a territory to which the United States Constitution fully applies. Although Puerto Rico has been a possession of the United States since 1898, it has never been incorporated into the United States as other territories have been.
The memorial recounts the historical and legal relationship of the United States and Puerto Rico since 1898. It concludes by urging Congress to incorporate the territory and United States resident citizens of Puerto Rico into the United States.
Vote: Senate Adopted; House Adopted