| Printer-Friendly | Search

Apr 28, 2010
10:50AM

Summary of Amendments Submitted to the Rules Committee for
H.R. 2499 - Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009

(summaries derived from information provided by sponsors)
Listed in Alphabetical Order
April 28, 2010 4:49 PM

Broun (GA), King, Steve (IA)

#12

Would amend the plebiscite ballot to clarify that if the voters choose statehood for Puerto Rico, English will be the official language of the State and all its official business will be conducted in English.

Broun (GA), Miller, Gary (CA)

#13

Would require that English be the only official language of Puerto Rico if it becomes a state.

Broun (GA), Chaffetz (UT)

#14

Would place on the second plebiscite ballot language stating that, if Puerto Rico becomes a state, it would be required to have laws in place to ensure that its residents have the Second Amendment right to own, possess, carry or use for lawful self defense, store assembled at home, and transport for lawful purposes, firearms and ammunition in any amount, consistent with federal law.

Broun (GA), Chaffetz (UT)

#15

Would add a new section at the end of the bill to require Puerto Rico, if it becomes a state, to have laws in place to ensure that its residents have the Second Amendment right to own, possess, carry or use for lawful self defense, store assembled at home, and transport for lawful purposes, firearms and ammunition in any amount, consistent with federal law.

Burton (IN), Young, Don (AK)

#11

Would retain the requirement that all ballots used for authorized plebiscites include the full content of the ballot printed in English. It would also require the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission to inform voters in all authorized plebiscites that if Puerto Rico retains its current status or is admitted as a State: (1) any official language requirements of the Federal Government shall apply to Puerto Rico to the same extent as throughout the United States; and (2) it is the Sense of Congress that the teaching of English be promoted in Puerto Rico in order for English-language proficiency to be achieved.

Chaffetz (UT)

#16

Would require a two-thirds vote to change from the current Puerto Rico political status before a second plebiscite can be held to determine what the change in status will be. It would also provide a sense of the Congress provision that two thirds of the people in Puerto Rico must support a particular status change option before the vote result can be certified to the President and Congress.

Foxx (NC)

#2

Would allow supporters of the commonwealth status quo the option of voting their preference during the second stage of the plebiscite.

Gutierrez (IL)

#20

Would provide that, under statehood, the state of Puerto Rico shall retain its separate Olympic Committee and ability to compete under its own flag and national Puerto Rican national anthem in international athletic competitions, even when competing against the United States.

Gutierrez (IL)

#21

Would express that it is the sense of Congress that by providing for the people of Puerto Rico to express their preference as to its permanent political status, Congress is aware that Puerto Rico is sociologically and culturally a Caribbean and Latin-American nation, formed by a blend of European, African, and native ethnics with a distinctive culture which, unlike the several States, has Spanish as its common language.

Gutierrez (IL)

#22

Would provide that, should a majority of the ballots in the plebiscite conducted pursuant to H.R. 2499 be cast in favor of the Statehood option and Congress implements that winning option, then Congress shall respect the explicit prohibition against wire-tapping as provided for under Article II, Section 10 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Gutierrez (IL)

#23

Substitute Would propose an alternative process to the one outlined in H.R. 2499. Instead of the of the two vote process of H.R. 2499, the substitute proposes a vote between two procedural choices: a plebiscite, as outlined in Section 2, (c), and a constitutional convention. A Constitutional Convention held pursuant to this Act may remain in session until a Self-Determination Proposal is enacted by Federal law.

Gutierrez (IL)

#24

Would provide that, should a majority of the ballots cast in the plebiscite conducted pursuant to HR2499 be for Statehood and Congress implements that winning option, all applicable federal laws concerning tax benefits to Puerto Rico shall continue to apply for not less than 15 years from the date of admission of Puerto Rico as a State of the Union. This provision may be terminated after 15 years after a review by Congress, in consultation with the President of and the Governor of Puerto Rico.

Gutierrez (IL)

#25

Would specifically provide that Congress will respond to the results of a majority vote for one of the options in the proposed plebiscite under H.R. 2499 by enacting a joint resolution of Congress to expeditiously implement the winning option. It also would express the sense of the Congress that, should the plebiscite occur under a future Congress, such future Congress shall proceed expeditiously to implement the winning option.

Gutierrez (IL)

#26

Would provide the Puerto Rican people have the option to choose "none of the above" with regard to the status of Puerto Rico.

Gutierrez (IL)

#27

Would state that nothing in this act shall be interpreted to mean that the U.S. Citizenship of the people of Puerto Rico is subject to change by an act of Congress.

Gutierrez (IL)

#28

Would propose that if Puerto Rico is to be admitted as a State, the Puerto Rican flag, now officially known as the Flag of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, shall continue to be flown at the same level as that of the United States as is under the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Gutierrez (IL)

#29

Would ensure full compliance of the voting procedures and voting rights in this proposed plebiscite with current Puerto Rican electoral law and Jurisprudence, which recognizes Puerto Rican citizenship.

Gutierrez (IL)

#30

Revised Would provide that Spanish be retained as an official language of the State government, courts, schools and agencies and Federal courts and agencies when such courts and agencies are acting in or with regard to Puerto Rico.

Gutierrez (IL)

#31

Would provide that the ballots in the plebiscite to be conducted under H.R. 2499 are printed in Spanish.

Gutierrez (IL), Velázquez (NY)

#32

Would provide that, should a majority of the ballots in the plebiscite conducted pursuant to HR2499 be cast in favor of the association of Statehood options and Congress implements the winning option, then Congress shall respect the prohibition against the death penalty as provided for under Article II, Section 7 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Gutierrez (IL)

#33

Would provide that "rum excise tax cover-over program" that is applicable to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico be extended for a period not to exceed twenty years from the date of admission of Puerto Rico as a State of the Union if a majority of ballots cast in the plebiscite conducted pursuant to H.R. 2499 are cast for the Statehood option.

Gutierrez (IL)

#34

Would specifically provide that Congress will respond to the results of a majority vote for statehood in the proposed plebiscite under H.R. 2499 by enacting a joint resolution of Congress to expeditiously implement the winning option. It also would express the sense of the Congress that, should the plebiscite occur under a future Congress, such future Congress shall proceed expeditiously to implement the winning option.

Gutierrez (IL)

#35

Would provide that all federal and Commonwealth laws and regulations concerning the prohibition of persecution, interference, intervention, harassment and intimidation, shall be fully applicable and enforced under any plebiscites held pursuant to H.R. 2499.

Hastings, Doc (WA)

#19

Substitute An amendment in the nature of a substitute that would state that Puerto Rico has, and has had, the authority to conduct plebiscites.

King, Steve (IA)

#18

Would require that all ballots be printed in English only.

Lamborn (CO)

#4

Would strike Sovereignty in Association with the United States from the second plebiscite and replace it with Current Status.

Rangel (NY)

#17

Would authorize a process to conduct a plebiscite in Puerto Rico with four options: independence, statehood, commonwealth, and Puerto Rico should not consider this issue at the present time.

Rohrabacher (CA)

#1

Would replace the two-plebiscite structure in the bill with a one-plebiscite structure that contains the 4 questions in the bill, but allows voters to vote for or against each question.

Smith, Lamar (TX)

#3

Substitute Would set out a plebiscite process consisting of a one-time, three vote option (current status, statehood, or independence), require that in order to be eligible to vote in the plebiscite, an individual must be an eligible voter under the electoral laws in effect in Puerto Rico at the time the plebiscite is held and require that all cost associated with the plebiscite are to be paid by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Velázquez (NY)

#5

Would provide for an option to the Puerto Rican electorate to cast a ballot against the process stated in section 2(a) of the bill and further provides for an option of “none of the above” for the process indicated on section 2 (c).

Velázquez (NY)

#6

Would require that a disclaimer be placed at the top of any plebiscite, in both English and Spanish, that the result of the plebiscite does bind the United States Congress to take particular actions to implement the winning option of the plebiscite.

Velázquez (NY), Gutierrez (IL)

#7

Revised Would expand eligibility to vote in any plebiscites authorized by this bill to US citizens of Puerto Rican descent residing in any of the 50 States and encourage Federal agencies and all State governments to cooperate with and assist the Commonwealth Elections Commission of Puerto Rico in this process.

Velázquez (NY)

#8

Would eliminate the first round of voting in Section 2 of the bill and insert an option for Commonwealth as a fourth option to the ballot.  It also would provide for a runoff process if no option receives more than 50 percent of the vote that would be between the two options that received the most votes.

Velázquez (NY)

#9

Revised Substitute An amendment in the nature of a substitute that would express that it is the Sense of Congress that a proposal for a change of status must come first from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico before Congress decides to consider the issue, therefore respecting their right of self-determination.

Velázquez (NY)

#10

Would clarify in section 3 (e) that all ballots to be used as a result of the enactment of this bill will be printed in Spanish and English.