AN ACT TO ENABLE -THE PIDPLE OF PUERTO RICO" TO ORGANIZE
A IDeAL GOVl!BNMENT IIi ACCORDANCE WItH A CONSTITUTION OF
!HEIR OWH ADOPl'ION FOLlDWIHG CERTADl PRoVISIONS OF LAW
HEREIN SET-FORTH, .AID FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Upon adoption by the Legislature ot Puerto Rico of'the necessary
legislation for the holdi.ng ot an election of delegates to a
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..,/ constitutional convention,. upon .t~e elect~on of s~d delega.~es and
upon the meeting of such convention, a proposed Constitution for
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the qrganization of the government ot "The People of Puerto Rico"
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shall be adopted by said convention, and the Constitution so adopt- . - ..
ed shall be submitted to "The People of Puerto Ricoll for approval
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or rejection in a plebiscite held in accordance with such provisions of
law as the Legisla~ure of ~erto Ri:C?O may prescri~e, and, upon approval
by the majority of voters taldng 'part in such plebiscite, it shall be
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so certified bY' the Governor of Puerto Rico to the President of· the
United. States. Thereupon, the President of the United States is .". _.. - ~ . . . -. -,' ..• - ...... .-
hereby authorized. and. directed to approve said Constitution if found
/ to confo~ to the provisions herein set, -forth.
Upon appro~ of said Constitution,bY' the .rre~id~~ of. the
/ United States he shall so proela:~.' and said Constitution shall there-
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upon become effective and shall, become operative in accordance with . . .... .
the provi8io~s of this Act.
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SECTION + The Constitution of "The People of Puerto
Rico" shall include a bill of rights containing such guarantees
as those to be found under Section 2 of an Act entitled "An
Act to provide a Civil Government for Puerto Rico and for other
Bill of ./ PurPQses"_, appr~ved March 2, 1917, as amended;it shall create
Rights;
Amendments a government republican in form, and it shall not be inconsistent
to the
Constitution / .with the Constitution of the United States, with this Act or
of "The
People of with B:nY' Act hereby continued, and no subsequent amendment to
Puerto
Rico" the Constitution of "The People of Puerto Rico" shall be held to
be vaJid if inconsistent with a republican form. of government,
v' with the COJlstitution of the United States, with this Act ;tor
with any Act hereby continued..
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SECTION + Except as otherwise herein determined, the
Government of "The People of Puerto Rico" shall have, under
the Com titution of "The People of Puerto Rica", adopted in
accordance with this Act, the same powers as now exercised
by the Government of Puerto Rico under the provisions of such
Act of March 2, 1917, as amended, and, specificaJJ.y the Chief
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Executive of "The, People of Puerto Rico", whenever i. t becomes . . .
;
necessary, _y call upon the Commanders of the Military, Air,
.,/ and Naval.Forces of the Unit~ State~ ~ the IsJ.t:-no/. to preV'ent
or suppress lawless violence, invasion, insurrection, or rebellion.
SECfi(l(
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:- The first officials elected to organize
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the Govel"Dll8nt of "The People of Puerto Rico" created under
the Constitution adopted in accordance nth this A.ct, shall
- v-take
office at such time &s the Constitution of "The People
,/ of Puerto ~~~" JlJ&T. determin~ and all officials. elected at
the la.at eJ.ection held under t.he terms of such Act of JJarch 2,
1917, a8 amended, preceding the approTal of said Constitution
b)" the President of the UDitecl States, shall hold office UJitil
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such tiJu as the officiala elected under the Constitution shall
take office•
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SECTION :- Upon the' Constitution becoming operative,
the laws and ordinances of Puerto Rico now in force or here-after
adopted prior to the qonstitution becoming operative,
shall continue in force and effect except as altered, amended
or modified herein, until altered, amended, or repealed by the
legislative authllrity of "The People of Puerto Rico" as creat-ed
by such Constitution, and such legislative authority shall
have power, when not inconsistent with this Act, by due enact-ment,
to amend, alter, S'ldify or repeal any- law or ordinance
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of Puerto Rico, civil or criminal, continued in force by this
Act as it may from time to time see fit •
SECTION ; Such Act of March 2, 1917, as amended, is
hereby-amended by ad~ after Section 6 thereof and before
Section 7 thereof, the following new sub-section:
SECTION 6a: The President may designate an Executive
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Department or Agency of the Federal Government to promote the
development in Puerto Rico of a coordinated policy in the admin-
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istration of federal functions and activities witPin Puerto Rico,
- both in what relates to cooperation among federal agencies and
departments themselves and to coopera~ion between them and the
Insular Government; to advise the Bureau of the Budget and Con-gress
on all appropriation estimates submitted by any department
or agency of the Federal Government for operation in Puerto Rico
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or to be spent out of federal funds for the benefit of PI:e rto
Rico; and to advise the Presj,dent and the Congress regarding any
proposed legislation 'applicable to' Puerto Rico under the terms
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of this Act; Provided, however, that the President may, by Executive
Order, exempt any Federal Agency or Department from the provisions
of this Act.
SEC']}IOB_:- Such Act of Mareh 2, 1917, as amended, is
hereby amended by adding after Section 9 thereof, and before
Secti01l 10 thereof, the following new sUbsection:
SroTION 9a:- The term "territoryl'oor "possessionlf in any
lsi hereafter enacted, not applicable to a state, shall not be
deemed to include or refer to Puerto Rico nor have force and
effect therein, wIess suoh law in its Olm terms expressly
prescrib~s that suoh law shall apply to Puerto Rico.
Unless Puerto Rico is expressly referred to as a "possessian"
or "territory" in any United States statutory law hereafter, enacted,
applicable to states, territories and possessions, but applicable to
territories and possessions otherwise than to states, and not inapplicable
to Puerto ~g, such law shall be deemed to have in·'Puerto.
Rico the same force and effect as if Puerto Rico were a state, and
not the force and effect as it,may,have in a territory or possessio~
except 'When otherwise expressly pr'ovlded for Puerto Rico in the
terms of such law or in th~s Act.
At the req:uest of the Legislative Authority of liThe People
of Puerto Rico", the President by Executive Order may declare
any law heretofore enacted, applicable t~ states, territ ories
and possessions but app~icable to territories and possessions,
otherwise than to states, and not inapplicable to Puerto Rico,
to have thenceforth the same force and effect in Puerto Rico as if
Puerto Rico were a state, and not as in a territory or possession,
except in the -Caee of1llly ,law which. may expressly include
Puerto Rico as a territ~rY ~r pos,session or t?therwise ~ressly:
provide for or exclude Puerto Ricoi In case the
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President may issue such executive order, such law shall
thenceforth have the same force and effect in Puerto Rico
as if Puerto Rico were a state and not a territory or possession.
The President is hereby likewise 'authorized to
declare inapplicable to Puerto Rico any United States statutory
law heretofore or hereafter enacted when requested to do so by the
Legislative Author"ity of "The People of Puerto Rico", provided,
hovever, that the President may not so declare to be inapplicable
to Puerto Rico either this Act or such Act of March 2, 1917, as
amended, or any provisions prescribed by the Act entitled, "An ..I
Act temporarily to provide revenues 'and a civil government for
Puerto Rico, and for other purposes", approved April 12, 1900
as vere continued in effect under Section 58 of such Act of March
2, 1917•
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SECTION :- No law or part of law hereafter enacted
in conflict 'With this Act shall be applicable to Pu.erto
Rico unless in its own terms, it isspecificaJ.J.y dee1ared applicable
to Puerto Rico notwithstanding contrary provisions
of this Act, and all laws or parts of laws inconsistent with
this Act are hereby repealed; and it is specificaJ.l.y provided
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that Sections 4, 10, 12, 12&, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 18&,
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19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33,
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34, 35, 37, 39, 40, 49, 49b, 50, 51, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, of
such Act of March 2, 1917, as amended, and all of Section 2
of such Act of March 2, 1917, as amended, ~ept i~s number
and such paragraph as wa~ ad,~edunder Public Law 362, OOth
Congress, 1st session, approved August 5, 1947, and such.
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language in the first sentence of Section 3 of such Act of
Karch 2, 1917, as amended, reading as follows:" no public
indebtedness of Puerto Rico and the llIIlnicipalities of San Juan,
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Ponce and Mayaguez shall be allowed in excess of 10 per centum
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of the aggregate tax valuation of its property, and no public
indebtedness of any other subdivision or mnnicipality of Puerto
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Rico shall hereafter be allowed in excess of 5-per centum of
the aggregate tax valuation of the property in any such sub-division
or municipality, and •• ", and the second sentence
of such same Section 3 of such Act of Karch 2, 1917, as amended,
reading as follows: "In computing the indebtedness of the People
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of Puerto Rico, municipaJ. 'bonds for the pa.yment of interqt
and principle of which the good faith of the People of
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Puerto Rico has heretofore been plee:taed and bonds issued
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by the People of Puerto Rico seeured by bonds to an equivalent
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amount of bonds of municipal corpora.tions or sehool 'boards
of Puerto Rico shall not be counted. but all 'bonds hereafter
issued by azrr municipality or subdivision within the 5 per
centum hereby authorized fo- r which the good faith of liThe '." .
People of Puerto Rico" is pledged, shall be counted", and - . . .. . . ~ . , .. .
Public Law 2.36, 74.th Congress, approved August 3, 1935, and
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Public Law 264, 74th Congress, approved August 13,1935, and
all of S. ection 38 of such Act of March 2, 1917, as amended, . -
except its numbe~ and the second paragraph thereof which
begins with. the words "The Interstate Commerce Act" ,and ends
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with the w-ords, "sball not apply in Puerto Rico", and such ..
language in Section 43 of such Act of March 2, 1917, as amended,
r~~;nto the Circuit Court of Appeals, for the First Circuit
and", shall be deemed superseded by the Constitution of "The
People of Puerto Rico" once said Constitution becomes effective
and the government thereby created be~omes operative in accordance
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with this Act, and thereupon, such Sections or parts .of S~ctions
as so .superseded shall. be deemed and are ~.by decla.red to" be
repeaJ.ed and a.:u Sections of such Act of March 2, 1917, as· _ _. r _ . __ • _.~
amended, which are not hereby declared superseded and repealed
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shall_eafter be referred to as the "PUerto Rico Federal
.Organic Relations ActlJ and they and all laws now applicable to
Puerto Rico, not in con!lict with this Act, shall be deemed
continued in force and effect insofar as not inconsistent with
the provisions and purposes of this Act, and this Act shall
not be deemed amended by any subseque nt law not enacted for
the express and declared purpose to amend this Act, and in
any case this Act shall be deemed amended by any law only to
the extent that it rIJa'1' be specifically declared amended by
such law.
