Puerto Rico and Congress, 2021–2026: a historical news guide
NAPREC Editorial Team
Selected public events and reporting in the political-status debate. This guide records what happened at each stage and what action would still be required.
2021 · Two status approaches at a House hearing
The House Natural Resources Committee considered proposals addressing Puerto Rico’s future political status. One approach concerned admission; another proposed a status convention. A hearing gathers testimony and places ideas in the congressional record. It does not enact either approach.
2022 · A House vote, with further steps outstanding
On December 15, the House passed H.R. 8393, the Puerto Rico Status Act, by 233 to 191. The measure did not become law simply because it passed one chamber. The Senate and president would have had to act on legislation.
2023 · A proposal enters the Senate
S. 3231 presented a federal process for choosing a permanent political status. Its introduction renewed congressional consideration, without changing Puerto Rico’s status on its own. Readers should distinguish a bill’s text, committee actions, and enacted law.
Senate sponsor’s legislative overview
2024 · Voters consider status choices
Puerto Rico’s November 5 nonbinding ballot presented statehood, independence, and independence with free association. Election coverage also described concerns about governing, reconstruction, and public services. The official election authority is the place to check certified totals and ballot rules.
PBS NewsHour election coverage · Puerto Rico State Elections Commission
2025 · Voting rights and governing priorities
The Puerto Rico Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights published a memorandum examining federal voting rights and the territory’s political status. Separately, Governor Jenniffer González Colón began her term amid energy-system concerns and continued statehood advocacy. Those are distinct institutional and political developments.
Civil-rights memorandum · PBS NewsHour / AP report
2026 · Advocacy and a legislative request
Puerto Rico officials convened a Washington statehood summit in March, according to the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration. In August, Puerto Rico’s Senate approved a resolution requesting admission from the president and Congress. Both actions express advocacy and a local legislative position. Neither substitutes for a federal admission law.
PRFAA release · Puerto Rico Senate release
Editorial note: This is a selected chronology, not a comprehensive record. Dates identify events or publications. Follow the linked institution or publisher for the underlying document and later developments. NAPREC supports equality through statehood; the descriptions above distinguish that position from the legal status of proposals.