On December 17, 1975, during the 1st Session of the 94th Congress, Popular Democrat Resident Commissioner Jaime Benitez of Puerto Rico (D-PR) introduced H.R. 11201 in the House from the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. The status bill sought to approve a Compact of Permanent Union between Puerto Rico and the United States.
On May 6, 1963, during the 1st Session of the 88th Congress, Democrat Representative William F. Ryan of New York (D-NY) introduced H.R. 6076 in the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. This bill sought to create a Commission on the Status of Puerto Rico to establish a procedure for the prompt settlement, in a democratic manner, of the political status of Puerto Rico.
On May 29, 1952, during the 2nd Session of the 82nd Congress, Popular Democratic party Resident Commissioner Antonio Fernós-Isern of Puerto Rico (PPD-PR) introduced H.J.Res. 430 in the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. S.J.Res. 151 accompanied this bill in the Senate. The resolution sought the approval of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
On June 9, 2016, during the 2nd Session of the 114th Congress, Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont (I-VT) introduced S. 3044 in the Senate Committee on Finance. Although the bill’s primary purpose was to aid with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, it included a provision authorizing a status plebiscite for Puerto Rico.
The Foraker Act of 1900 was enacted on April 12, 1900, during the 1st Session of the 56th Congress.
This was the first organic act providing a civil government for Puerto Rico. This organic act initially
treated Puerto Rico as a foreign territorial possession for tariff purposes. This act was subsequently
amended on multiple occasions and presently remains as the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act.
During the 1st Session of the 76th Congress, on January 3, 1939, Democrat and Socialist member of the conservative Coalición, Resident Commissioner Santiago Iglesias of Puerto Rico (D/Coalición-PR) introduced H.R. 147 in the House Committee on Insular Affairs. This status bill called for the admission of Puerto Rico into the Union on an equal footing with the states.
On April 30, 1963, during the 1st Session of the 88th Congress, Republican Representative John H. Kyl of Iowa (R-IA) introduced H.R. 5947 in the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. This bill sought to create a Commission on the Status of Puerto Rico to establish a procedure for the prompt settlement, in a democratic manner, of the political status of Puerto Rico.
On September 27, 1996, during the 2nd Session of the 104th Congress, Republican Representative Don E. Young of Alaska (R-AK) initially introduced H.R. 4228 in the Committee on Resources. This bill provided a plebiscitary process leading to the full self-government of Puerto Rico.
On February 12, 2014, during the 2nd Session of the 113th Congress, Democrat Senator Martin Heinrich from New Mexico (D-NM) introduced S. 2020 (accompanied by S. 2000 in the House) in the House Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. This status bill set forth a process for Puerto Rico to be admitted as a state of the Union.
On April 20, 2023, during the 1st Session of the 118th Congress, Democrat Representative Raúl Grijalva of Arizona (D-AZ) introduced H.R. 2757 in the House Committee on Natural Resources. This bill enabled the people of Puerto Rico to choose a permanent, non-territorial, fully self-governing political status for Puerto Rico and to provide for a transition to and the implementation of that permanent, non-territorial, fully self-governing political status. The three territorial options included in this bill are Statehood, Independence, and Sovereignty in Free Association.
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