text: SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds that--
              (1) the United States exercises sovereignty over Puerto 
          Rico pursuant to the Treaty of Paris proclaimed by President 
          McKinley on April 11, 1899, Article IX of which provides that 
          the ``civil rights and political status of the native 
          inhabitants'' of Puerto Rico ``shall be determined by the 
          Congress'';
              (2) Congress continues to carry out all Federal 
          responsibilities with respect to Puerto Rico, including those 
          set forth in article IX of the treaty of cession, pursuant to 
          the territorial clause of the United States Constitution 
          (article IV, section 3, clause 2), which provides that 
          ``Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful 
          Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other 
          Property belonging to the United States'';
              (3) in the Act of March 2, 1917 (39 stat. 951, chapter 
          145), Congress provided for civil administration of Puerto Rico 
          and declared that, by virtue of that Act, the inhabitants of 
          Puerto Rico shall be citizens of the United States, with such 
          civil rights and political status as Congress determined to be 
          consistent with residence in an unincorporated territory rather 
          than a State of the Union;
              (4) in accordance with the Act of July 3, 1950 (64 Stat. 
          319, chapter 446), the people of Puerto Rico adopted a 
          constitution in 1952 that, after amendment and approval by 
          Congress, established the current Commonwealth structure for 
          self-government in respect of internal affairs and local 
          government administration, subject to the United States 
          Constitution and Federal law applicable to Puerto Rico; and
              (5) the United States, consistent with its constitutional 
          process, is committed to respecting the principle of self-
          determination as part of any procedure to resolve the political 
          status of Puerto Rico.
  
  SEC. 2. REFERENDA.
  
      (a) Policy of the United States.--(1) In general.--It is the policy 
  of the United States that the residents of Puerto Rico periodically 
  should be afforded an opportunity freely to express their wishes 
  regarding their political status.--
      (2) Options.--The self-determination process for Puerto Rico should 
  be one that enables the people of Puerto Rico to preserve their current 
  political status if that is their preference, or to choose to seek, in 
  accordance with a process approved by Congress and the residents of 
  Puerto Rico--
                      (A) admission as a State of the Union on the basis 
                  of full equality; or
                      (B) withdrawal of United States sovereignty in 
                  favor of independence or free association.
      (b) Requirements.--A referendum under this Act--
              (1) shall be conducted among persons in Puerto Rico who 
          meet the residency, United States citizenship, and other 
          requirements of applicable law governing voter eligibility in 
          Puerto Rico;
              (2) shall otherwise be in accordance with applicable 
          provisions of the elections law of Puerto Rico and other 
          relevant local and Federal law consistent with this Act; and
              (3) shall be decided by a majority of the votes cast.
      (c) Referendum by the End of 1998.--
              (1) In general.--A referendum under this Act shall be 
          conducted not later than December 31, 1998.
              (2) Format.--
                      (A) Part one of the ballot.--In the referendum 
                  under paragraph (1), the option of continuing the 
                  current Commonwealth arrangements and Puerto Rico's 
                  current political status, or, alternatively, entering 
                  on a process leading to permanent full self-government 
                  through separate sovereignty or statehood, shall be 
                  presented in Part One of the ballot as Options A and B, 
                  as follows:
  
                                 ``part one
  
              ``Option A.--COMMONWEALTH: The residents of Puerto Rico 
          desire to continue the current Commonwealth structure for self-
          government with respect to internal affairs and administration 
          under a local constitution, subject to the provisions of the 
          Constitution and laws of the United States that apply to Puerto 
          Rico. Puerto Rico will remain an unincorporated territory of 
          the United States, and application of Federal law and 
          provisions of the Constitution to Puerto Rico remains within 
          the discretion of Congress. The future status of Puerto Rico 
          will be determined through a process authorized by Congress 
          that includes self-determination by the residents of Puerto 
          Rico in periodic referenda.
              ``Option B.--PATH TO SEPARATE SOVEREIGNTY OR STATEHOOD: The 
          residents of Puerto Rico desire to enter on a process for 
          Congress and the residents of Puerto Rico to define and approve 
          in a later vote a transition to permanent full self-government 
          through either separate sovereignty or statehood as set forth 
          in Part Two of this ballot.''.
                      (B) Part two of the ballot.--Part Two of the ballot 
                  shall present voters with a choice between 2 options 
                  for ending the current territorial status in favor of 
                  separate sovereignty, in the form of independence, or 
                  free association as may be agreed, according to 
                  international law and definitions compatible with the 
                  constitutional process and practices of the United 
                  States, or, alternatively, full integration into the 
                  United States constitutional system on the basis of 
                  equality. The definitions of separate sovereignty and 
                  full integration leading to statehood shall appear in 
                  Part Two of the ballot as Options A and B, as follows:
              ``Option A.--SEPARATE SOVEREIGNTY: The residents of Puerto 
          Rico desire to be a separate sovereign nation that exercises 
          all the powers of government with respect to its territory and 
          population, with full authority and responsibility for its 
          internal and external affairs, through independence (or free 
          association as may be agreed). Puerto Rico will become fully 
          self-governing under its own constitution establishing a 
          republican form of government, which shall be the supreme law. 
          The United States Constitution and laws shall no longer apply, 
          and the sovereignty, nationality, and citizenship of the United 
          States in Puerto Rico shall terminate based on approval of 
          separate sovereignty by Congress and the residents of Puerto 
          Rico. Birth in Puerto Rico or relationship to a person who 
          acquired United States citizenship by statute due to birth in 
          Puerto Rico during the territorial period no longer will confer 
          United States citizenship, but such persons shall have a right 
          to retain statutory United States citizenship for life based on 
          continued allegiance to the United States and election or 
          designation as prescribed by Congress consistent with the 
          transition to separate sovereignty and succession of 
          nationality.
              ``Option B.--STATEHOOD: The residents of Puerto Rico desire 
          admission of Puerto Rico as a State of the Union. Through 
          statehood residents of Puerto Rico will have a status and 
          rights secured under the United States Constitution, which will 
          be the supreme law of the land with the same force and effect 
          as in the other States of the Union. The sovereign State of 
          Puerto Rico will be in permanent union with the United States, 
          and powers not delegated to the Federal Government or 
          prohibited to the States by the United States Constitution 
          shall be reserved to the people of Puerto Rico or the State 
          Government. The United States nationality and citizenship of 
          persons born in Puerto Rico will be guaranteed in the same way 
          it is for all United States citizens born in other States of 
          the Union. United States citizens in Puerto Rico will have full 
          and equal rights and duties of United States citizenship, 
          including voting rights in elections for President and Vice 
          President, as well as representation by 2 members in the United 
          States Senate and proportionally on the basis of population in 
          the House of Representatives.''.
              (3) Instructions to voters.--
                      (A) Part one.--The instructions to voters for Part 
                  One of the ballot in a referendum under this subsection 
                  shall state that a voter may select Option A or Option 
                  B by marking either option, but that ballots with both 
                  options marked in Part One will not be counted.
                      (B) Part two.--The instructions to voters for Part 
                  Two of the ballot in such a referendum shall state that 
                  a voter may vote on Part Two regardless of how the 
                  voter voted on Part One, or even if they did not vote 
                  on Part One. The instructions to voters on Part Two 
                  shall also state that Part Two is to determine the 
                  preference of voters as between the options for seeking 
                  separate sovereignty or statehood in case a majority of 
  the voters voting on Part One approve that course as set forth in 
  Option B on Part One of the ballot. The voters shall be instructed to 
  approve Option A or Option B in Part Two by marking either, but that 
  ballots with both options marked in Part Two will not be counted.
              (4) Validity of either part.--On any ballot cast in a 
          referendum under this subsection either Part One or Part Two 
          shall be counted if properly cast, even if the other part of 
          the ballot is not counted due to the manner in which the other 
          part has been cast.
  
  SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION.
  
      (a) Selection of Current Status or Rejection of Transition.--If a 
  majority of the voters approve continuation of the current 
  unincorporated status and the present `Commonwealth' structure for 
  local self-government, or on rejection of a transition plan, unless 
  otherwise provided by Congress, referenda on the future political 
  status of Puerto Rico shall be held in accordance with this Act every 4 
  years thereafter, but not within 270 calendar days of a general 
  election, in order to ensure that the right of the people of Puerto 
  Rico to self-determination is respected, and that the people 
  periodically are afforded the opportunity freely to express their 
  wishes with respect to resolution of Puerto Rico's status based on 
  permanent full self-government.
      (b) Selection of Statehood.--If statehood is selected, the 
  President, not later than 180 days after the referendum, shall transmit 
  to the Congress legislation providing for the admission of Puerto Rico 
  as a State of the Union in accordance with a transition plan that 
  includes procedures for approval of the terms of admission and 
  implementation thereof by a majority vote of the residents of Puerto 
  Rico.
      (c) Selection of Separate Sovereignty.--If separate sovereignty is 
  selected, the President, not later than 180 days after the referendum, 
  shall transmit to the Congress legislation to providing a plan for the 
  transition to an international sovereign-to-sovereign relationship 
  governed by a treaty or international agreement (including measures to 
  cease conferral of United States citizenship on persons born in Puerto 
  Rico), and such legislation shall include procedures for approval of 
  the transition to separate sovereignty by a majority vote of the 
  residents of Puerto Rico.
target: Requires a referendum to be held by December 31, 1998, on Puerto Rico's path to self-determination either through preserving its current political status, U.S. statehood, or separate sovereignty (independence or free association).  Sets forth specified requirements with respect to the referendum and congressional procedures for consideration of legislation.
feat_title: A bill to provide for referenda to resolve the political status of Puerto Rico, and for other purposes.