Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2021
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Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2021
This bill establishes a process for the people of Puerto Rico to vote on the political status (e.g., statehood) of the territory. Congress may ratify the decision through a joint resolution.
The bill declares that the legislature of Puerto Rico has the authority to call a status convention regarding the political status of the territory.
The bill provides for public financing of delegate elections to the status convention and establishes a Congressional Bilateral Negotiating Commission to provide advice and consultation to delegates of the status convention.
The status convention must provide self-determination options for a referendum of the people of Puerto Rico. Ranked-choice voting is a permitted format for the referendum. Delegates shall carry out an educational campaign through traditional paid media related to the referendum.
The bill provides for congressional consideration of a joint resolution to ratify the self-determination option selected through the referendum.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Introduced in Senate Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 865: Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2021. 117th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-865/
"S. 865: Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2021." 117th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-865/.
S. 865, 117th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-865/.
[S. 865: Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2021](https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-865/)