Territorial Representation in the Senate Act
This bill allows each U.S. territory (American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) with local legislative approval to be represented in Congress by a nonvoting delegate to the Senate who shall be elected by the people qualified to vote for officials of the territory.
Further, the bill establishes qualifications for the office of delegate, authorizes the government of the territory to determine the election procedure, and provides that each delegate shall receive the same compensation, privileges, and immunities as any other member of the Senate.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6941 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6941
To provide for a nonvoting delegate to the Senate to represent American
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto
Rico, and the Virgin Islands of the United States, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 7, 2022
Mr. San Nicolas (for himself, Mr. Sablan, Ms. Norton, and Ms. Plaskett)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for a nonvoting delegate to the Senate to represent American
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto
Rico, and the Virgin Islands of the United States, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Territorial Representation in the
Senate Act''.
SEC. 2. DELEGATE TO SENATE FROM EACH TERRITORY.
(a) Nonvoting Delegate.--Subject to local legislative approval in
accordance with subsection (b), each Territory shall be represented in
the United States Congress by a Delegate to the United States Senate.
The Delegate shall be a nonvoting Delegate in the Senate, elected as
provided in this Act.
(b) Local Legislative Approval.--The local legislature of each
Territory shall--
(1) determine whether the Territory will be represented by
a nonvoting delegate as authorized by this Act; and
(2) establish such procedures as the legislature may deem
appropriate to modify the determination described in paragraph
(1).
SEC. 3. ELECTION OF DELEGATE.
(a) Electors and Time of Election.--The Delegate for a Territory
shall be elected--
(1) by the people qualified to vote for the popularly
elected officials of the Territory;
(2) at the first Federal general election occurring at
least one year after the date of the enactment of this Act and
at each Federal general election every 6 years thereafter; and
(3) at a special election, if required due to a mid-term
permanent vacancy.
(b) Manner of Election.--
(1) In general.--The Delegate shall be elected at large and
by a plurality of the votes cast for the office of Delegate.
(2) Effect of establishment of primary elections.--
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the Government of the
Territory, acting pursuant to legislation enacted in accordance
with the Constitution or Organic Act of the Territory, provides
for primary elections for the election of the Delegate, the
Delegate shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast in
any general election for the office of Delegate for which such
primary elections were held.
(c) Vacancy.--In case of a permanent vacancy in the office of
Delegate, the office of Delegate shall remain vacant until a successor
is elected and qualified.
(d) Commencement of Term.--The term of the Delegate shall commence
on the 3rd day of January following the date of the election.
SEC. 4. QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE OF DELEGATE.
To be eligible for the office of Delegate a candidate shall--
(1) be at least 30 years of age on the date of the
election;
(2) have been a citizen of the United States for at least 9
years prior to the date of the election;
(3) be a resident and domiciliary of the Territory prior to
the date of the election for a period to be determined by the
Government of the Territory;
(4) be qualified to vote in the Territory on the date of
the election; and
(5) not be, on the date of the election, a candidate for
any other office.
SEC. 5. DETERMINATION OF ELECTION PROCEDURE.
Acting pursuant to legislation enacted in accordance with the
Constitution or Organic Act of the Territory, the Government of the
Territory may determine--
(1) the order of names on the ballot for election of
Delegate;
(2) the method by which a special election to fill a
permanent vacancy in the office of Delegate shall be conducted;
(3) the method by which ties between candidates for the
office of Delegate shall be resolved; and
(4) all other matters of local application pertaining to
the election and the office of Delegate not otherwise expressly
provided for in this Act.
SEC. 6. COMPENSATION, PRIVILEGES, AND IMMUNITIES.
Until the Rules of the Senate are amended to provide otherwise, the
Delegate from the Territory shall receive the same compensation,
allowances, and benefits as a Member of the Senate, and shall be
entitled to whatever privileges and immunities are, or hereinafter may
be, granted to any other member of the Senate, except that a Delegate
shall be nonvoting on final Senate votes.
SEC. 7. DEFINITION.
For purposes of this Act, the term ``Territory'' means,
individually, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands of the United
States.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line