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I 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 Com- mittee on Natural Resources A BILL To provide for a nonvoting delegate to the Senate to rep- resent American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands of the United States, and for other pur- poses. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Territorial Representa- 4 tion in the Senate Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:16 Apr 07, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6941.IH H6941 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6941 IH SEC. 2. DELEGATE TO SENATE FROM EACH TERRITORY. 1 (a) NONVOTING DELEGATE.—Subject to local legisla- 2 tive approval in accordance with subsection (b), each Ter- 3 ritory shall be represented in the United States Congress 4 by a Delegate to the United States Senate. The Delegate 5 shall be a nonvoting Delegate in the Senate, elected as 6 provided in this Act. 7 (b) LOCAL LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL.—The local leg- 8 islature of each Territory shall— 9 (1) determine whether the Territory will be rep- 10 resented by a nonvoting delegate as authorized by 11 this Act; and 12 (2) establish such procedures as the legislature 13 may deem appropriate to modify the determination 14 described in paragraph (1). 15 SEC. 3. ELECTION OF DELEGATE. 16 (a) ELECTORS AND TIME OF ELECTION.—The Dele- 17 gate for a Territory shall be elected— 18 (1) by the people qualified to vote for the popu- 19 larly elected officials of the Territory; 20 (2) at the first Federal general election occur- 21 ring at least one year after the date of the enact- 22 ment of this Act and at each Federal general elec- 23 tion every 6 years thereafter; and 24 (3) at a special election, if required due to a 25 mid-term permanent vacancy. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:16 Apr 07, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6941.IH H6941 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6941 IH (b) MANNER OF ELECTION.— 1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Delegate shall be elect- 2 ed at large and by a plurality of the votes cast for 3 the office of Delegate. 4 (2) EFFECT OF ESTABLISHMENT OF PRIMARY 5 ELECTIONS.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the 6 Government of the Territory, acting pursuant to leg- 7 islation enacted in accordance with the Constitution 8 or Organic Act of the Territory, provides for pri- 9 mary elections for the election of the Delegate, the 10 Delegate shall be elected by a majority of the votes 11 cast in any general election for the office of Delegate 12 for which such primary elections were held. 13 (c) VACANCY.—In case of a permanent vacancy in the 14 office of Delegate, the office of Delegate shall remain va- 15 cant until a successor is elected and qualified. 16 (d) COMMENCEMENT OF TERM.—The term of the 17 Delegate shall commence on the 3rd day of January fol- 18 lowing the date of the election. 19 SEC. 4. QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE OF DELEGATE. 20 To be eligible for the office of Delegate a candidate 21 shall— 22 (1) be at least 30 years of age on the date of 23 the election; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:16 Apr 07, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6941.IH H6941 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6941 IH (2) have been a citizen of the United States for 1 at least 9 years prior to the date of the election; 2 (3) be a resident and domiciliary of the Terri- 3 tory prior to the date of the election for a period to 4 be determined by the Government of the Territory; 5 (4) be qualified to vote in the Territory on the 6 date of the election; and 7 (5) not be, on the date of the election, a can- 8 didate for any other office. 9 SEC. 5. DETERMINATION OF ELECTION PROCEDURE. 10 Acting pursuant to legislation enacted in accordance 11 with the Constitution or Organic Act of the Territory, the 12 Government of the Territory may determine— 13 (1) the order of names on the ballot for election 14 of Delegate; 15 (2) the method by which a special election to fill 16 a permanent vacancy in the office of Delegate shall 17 be conducted; 18 (3) the method by which ties between can- 19 didates for the office of Delegate shall be resolved; 20 and 21 (4) all other matters of local application per- 22 taining to the election and the office of Delegate not 23 otherwise expressly provided for in this Act. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:16 Apr 07, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6941.IH H6941 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 6941 IH SEC. 6. COMPENSATION, PRIVILEGES, AND IMMUNITIES. 1 Until the Rules of the Senate are amended to provide 2 otherwise, the Delegate from the Territory shall receive 3 the same compensation, allowances, and benefits as a 4 Member of the Senate, and shall be entitled to whatever 5 privileges and immunities are, or hereinafter may be, 6 granted to any other member of the Senate, except that 7 a Delegate shall be nonvoting on final Senate votes. 8 SEC. 7. DEFINITION. 9 For purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘Territory’’ 10 means, individually, American Samoa, the Commonwealth 11 of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and 12 the Virgin Islands of the United States. 13 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:16 Apr 07, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6941.IH H6941 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS