- Vote moves forward after being approved by a House committee Wednesday
- It will decide whether PR becomes a state, independent nation, or sovereignty
- It is unlikely to go anywhere as it must survive a House and Senate vote by Jan 3
Puerto Ricans could move a step closer to a poll on whether the island should become a U.S. state when the House of Representatives votes Thursday on a bill outlining the process.
A House committee approved the Puerto Rico Status Act Wednesday, paving the way for the full House vote. The bill was cosponsored by Representative Nydia Velazquez, a Democrat from New York.
The legislation lays out terms of a plebiscite – which is a non-legally binding referendum – as well as three potential self-governing statuses: independence, full U.S. statehood, or sovereignty with free association within the United States. The latter is in place in Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands.
Puerto Rico, which has a 3.3 million population and high rates of poverty, became a U.S. territory in 1898. Activists have campaigned for greater self-determination including statehood for decades.
There have been six referendums on the topic since the 1960s, but they were non-binding. Only Congress can grant statehood.
‘After 124 years of colonialism, Puerto Ricans deserve a fair, transparent, and democratic process to finally solve the status question,’ Velazquez said on Twitter.
