Senate Bill sb1360c1
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Florida Senate - 2003 CS for SM 1360
By the Committee on Rules and Calendar; and Senator Klein
305-2172-03
1 Senate Memorial No. ____
2 A memorial to the Congress of the United
3 States, urging Congress to grant without
4 further delay Puerto Rico's pending petition
5 for a federally sanctioned plebiscite to
6 establish and define the political status and
7 electoral rights of United States citizens of
8 Puerto Rico.
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10 WHEREAS, on December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was
11 signed by the United States, and on February 6, 1899, was
12 ratified by the United States, formally concluding the
13 Spanish-American War and establishing Puerto Rico as a
14 territory of the United States, and
15 WHEREAS, on March 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson
16 signed the Puerto Rican Federal Relations Act, otherwise known
17 as the Jones Act, extending United States citizenship to
18 citizens of Puerto Rico, but not authorizing them to qualify
19 as candidates for office in the United States Senate or in the
20 United States House of Representatives, or for the office of
21 President of the United States, and not authorizing them to
22 vote for any such candidate, and
23 WHEREAS, since 1917, 200,000 people who are citizens of
24 Puerto Rico have served valiantly as members of the United
25 States Armed Services in every war and conflict in which the
26 United States has been engaged in defense of democratic
27 principles and the freedom of individuals to exercise their
28 fundamental rights of self-determination, and
29 WHEREAS, four heroic Puerto Ricans, Hector
30 Santiago-Colon, Euripides Rubio, Carlos James Lozada, and Luis
31 Fernando Garcia, have been awarded the Congressional Medal of
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Florida Senate - 2003 CS for SM 1360
305-2172-03
1 Honor for their valor in defending American ideals and
2 freedoms, and
3 WHEREAS, the 3.8 million citizens of Puerto Rico have
4 made many invaluable social, economic, and public service
5 contributions to preserve, protect, and advance American
6 ideals and freedoms, and
7 WHEREAS, a significant number of the citizens of the
8 State of Florida originate from Puerto Rico and other Latin
9 American countries, and many such citizens serve as our
10 state's business, education, cultural, and public service
11 leaders, and
12 WHEREAS, Florida's great history, including its
13 ascension to statehood, is closely intertwined with a heritage
14 derived from the many invaluable contributions made by Puerto
15 Ricans and others of Latin American descent, and
16 WHEREAS, in 1997, the Legislature of Puerto Rico
17 submitted a formal petition to the Congress of the United
18 States asking that Congress respond to the many democratic
19 aspirations of citizens of Puerto Rico by authorizing a
20 federally sanctioned plebiscite to be held no later than 1998,
21 but Congress has not yet acted on the petition, and
22 WHEREAS, it is long overdue that citizens of Puerto
23 Rico be endowed with the political and electoral rights of
24 full representative government that are exercised by other
25 United States citizens, and
26 WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature urges all citizens of
27 Florida and of all the other states and territories of the
28 United States to support enactment of a federal law leading to
29 full self-government for Puerto Rico, NOW, THEREFORE,
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31 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Florida Senate - 2003 CS for SM 1360
305-2172-03
1 That the Congress of the United States is urged to act
2 without further delay on Puerto Rico's pending petition by
3 promptly enacting legislation establishing and defining the
4 political status and electoral rights of citizens of Puerto
5 Rico, and authorizing a plebiscite to provide an opportunity
6 for such citizens to make an informed decision on the future
7 political status of Puerto Rico.
8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be
9 presented to the President of the United States, to the
10 President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the
11 United States House of Representatives, to each member of the
12 Florida delegation to the United States Congress, and to the
13 Governor of Puerto Rico.
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15 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
16 Senate Memorial 1360
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18 The committee substitute differs from the original bill in
that: the legislative intent is clarified to urge all
19 citizens of Florida and all other states and territories of
the United States to support enactment of federal legislation
20 leading to full representative government for Puerto Rico.
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