On November 8, 2023, during the first Session of the 118th Congress, Democrat Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico (D-NM) introduced S.3231 in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. This bill enabled the people of Puerto Rico to choose a permanent, nonterritorial, fully self-governing political status for Puerto Rico and to provide for a transition to and the implementation of that permanent, nonterritorial, fully self-governing political status. The three territorial options included in this bill are Statehood, Independence, and Sovereignty in Free Association.
On May 19, 2009, during the 1st Session of the 111th Congress, Democrat and New Progressive Party Resident Commissioner Pedro R. Pierluisi of Puerto Rico (D/PNP-PR) introduced H.R. 2499 in the House Committee on Natural Resources. This bill provided for a federally sanctioned plebiscite to resolve Puerto Rico’s political status.
On May 15, 2013, during the 1st Session of the 113th Congress, Democrat and New Progressive Party Resident Commissioner Pedro R. Pierluisi of Puerto Rico (D/PNP-PR) introduced H.R. 2000 (accompanied by S. 2020 in the Senate) in the House Committee on Natural Resources. This status bill set forth a process for Puerto Rico to be admitted as a state of the Union.
Public Law 113-76 was enacted on September 30, 2014, during the 1st Session of the 114th Congress. Public Law 113-76 was titled the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014. This law authorized $2,500,000 for objective, nonpartisan voter education about, and a plebiscite on, options that would resolve Puerto Rico’s future political status, which shall be provided to the State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico.
On February 4, 2015, during the 1st Session of the 114th Congress, Democrat and New Progressive Party Resident Commissioner Pedro R. Pierluisi of Puerto Rico (D/PNP-PR) introduced H.R. 727 in the House Committee on Natural Resources. This status bill set forth a process for Puerto Rico to be admitted as a state of the Union.
On June 27, 2018, during the 2nd Session of the 115th Congress, Republican and New Progressive Party Resident Commissioner Jenifer González-Colón of Puerto Rico (R/PNP-PR) introduced H.R. 6246 in the House Committee on Natural Resources. This status bill enabled the admission of the territory of Puerto Rico into the Union as a state on an equal footing.
On February 7, 2017, during the 1st Session of the 115th Congress, Democrat Representative Luis V. Gutiérrez of Illinois (D-IL) introduced H.R. 900 in the House Committee on Natural Resources. This bill recognized Puerto Rico’s sovereign nationhood either under independence or free association and provided a transition process.
On October 29, 2019, during the 1st Session of the 116th Congress, Democrat Representative José E. Serrano of New York (D-NY) introduced H.R. 4901 in the House Committee on Natural Resources. This status bill enabled the admission of Puerto Rico as a state of the Union.
On August 25, 2020, during the 2nd Session of the 116th Congress, Democrat Representative Nydia M. Velazquez from New York (D-NY) introduced H.R. 8113 in the House Committee on Natural Resources. This bill recognized the right of the people of Puerto Rico to call a status convention through which the people would exercise their natural right to self-determination, and to establish a mechanism for congressional consideration of such decision.
On March 16, 2021, during the 1st Session of the 117th Congress, Democrat Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico (D-NM) introduced S. 780 (accompanied by H.R. 1522 in the House) in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. This status bill provided for the state of Puerto Rico into the Union.
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