NAPREC · Complete guide · Reviewed November 9, 2026Leer en español →
Puerto Rico Statehood: The Complete Guide
Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, not a state. About 3.2 million U.S. citizens live there with no U.S. senators, no final vote in the House and no vote for President. Statehood would change that, but only Congress can admit a new state. Statehood has received the most votes in each of Puerto Rico's last four status votes (2012, 2017, 2020 and 2024), and in October 2026 Puerto Rico's government formally asked Congress for admission.
1. Puerto Rico's status today
Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory since 1898. Congress governs territories under the Territory Clause of the Constitution (Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2). Since 1952 Puerto Rico has had its own constitution and elects its own Governor and Legislative Assembly, but Congress keeps final authority over the territory.
People born in Puerto Rico have been U.S. citizens by federal law since the Jones–Shafroth Act of 1917; today that citizenship is set by 8 U.S.C. § 1402. The 2020 Census counted 3,285,874 residents, and the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics estimated 3,184,835 for 2025.
In Congress, Puerto Rico has one Resident Commissioner, who serves in the House and can serve on committees and introduce bills but does not cast the final vote on the House floor. Puerto Rico has no senators and no presidential electors.
2. How a territory becomes a state
The Constitution gives the power to admit new states to Congress: "New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union" (Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1). In practice that means:
- An admission bill is introduced in the House or Senate and goes through committee.
- Both chambers pass the same text.
- The President signs it. The law sets the terms: the admission date, the first elections for senators and representatives, and any transition rules.
A vote in Puerto Rico expresses the voters' preference, but it does not admit a state by itself. New states join "on an equal footing" with the existing states. The last two admissions were Alaska and Hawaii in 1959, each under its own admission act; the House was temporarily enlarged to 437 seats until the next census.
3. What voters have said, 1967–2024
Puerto Rico has held seven status votes. All were organized in Puerto Rico, and the ballots and options differed, so results are best read together with turnout.
| Year | Ballot | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Commonwealth, statehood, independence | Commonwealth 60.5%, statehood 38.9%, independence 0.6%; turnout about 66% |
| 1993 | Commonwealth, statehood, independence | Commonwealth 48.6%, statehood 46.4%, independence 4.4%; no majority |
| 1998 | Five options | "None of the above" 50.3%, statehood 46.6% |
| 2012 | Two questions | A majority rejected the current territorial status; on the second question statehood had 61.2% of those who answered it, while 498,604 voters left it blank |
| 2017 | Statehood, free association/independence, current status | Statehood about 97%, with turnout near 23% amid an opposition boycott |
| 2020 | Yes or no on admission as a state | Yes 52.52% (655,505 votes) |
| 2024 | Statehood, independence, free association | Statehood 58.61% (620,782 votes) |
Sources: Congressional Research Service RL32933 (1967–1998) and R42765 (2012); State Elections Commission certifications for 2017 (in the House hearing record) and 2024. More detail: Seven status votes, 1967 to 2024.
Two careful conclusions follow from the record: the current territorial status no longer wins a majority when voters are asked about it directly, and statehood has led each of the last four votes. Critics point to the 2017 boycott and the blank ballots in 2012; because Congress has never set the options in a binding vote, both sides argue over what the results mean.
4. Where things stand in Congress
- 2022: the House passed the Puerto Rico Status Act (H.R. 8393) on December 15, 2022, by 233 to 191. It would have held a binding vote among statehood, independence and free association. The Senate did not act, and the bill expired. Read the summary.
- 2024: Puerto Rico held its own vote; statehood received 58.61%.
- 2026: on June 10, Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández introduced H.R. 9246, the Puerto Rico Democratic Self Determination Act, referred to the Natural Resources Committee. On October 16, Governor Jenniffer González-Colón signed Joint Resolution 66-2026, which formally asks Congress to admit Puerto Rico as a state (details).
- As of the Status Record's October 24, 2026 update, no admission bill had been introduced in the 119th Congress. The Governor has said a new admission bill would follow when the new Congress is seated.
Every Puerto Rico bill in this Congress, with sponsors, cosponsors by party and the latest official action, is tracked in The Puerto Rico Status Record. To see where your members of Congress stand, use Congress and Puerto Rico statehood: members' records.
5. Puerto Rico vs. the states
These are the main federal rules that treat Puerto Rico differently from the 50 states today. Under statehood, Puerto Rico would generally be covered by the same rules as other states; an admission law could set transition dates.
| Area | Puerto Rico today | The 50 states |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senate | No senators | Two senators each |
| U.S. House | One Resident Commissioner, no final floor vote | Voting members by population; with 2020 Census figures, Puerto Rico would have had about four (calculation) |
| President | No electors; island residents cannot vote in November | Electors equal to House plus Senate seats (about six for Puerto Rico) |
| Medicaid | Federal funding capped each year (42 U.S.C. § 1308; CMS) | Open-ended federal matching |
| Food assistance | Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP), a fixed block grant (USDA) | SNAP, which grows with need |
| Supplemental Security Income | Not available; the exclusion was upheld in United States v. Vaello Madero (2022) | Available to eligible low-income elderly, blind and disabled residents |
| Medicare drug "Extra Help" | Residents excluded; a capped territorial drug plan instead (42 U.S.C. § 1395w-114, § 1396u-5(e)) | Low-income subsidy for eligible enrollees |
| Highways | A separate fixed-amount program (23 U.S.C. § 165) | Federal-aid formula programs |
| Federal income tax | Bona fide residents generally do not pay it on Puerto Rico-source income; they pay Social Security and Medicare taxes and federal tax on other income (IRS Topic 901) | Federal income tax on all income |
The laws behind each row are in the NAPREC research library. Fact sheets by topic: /fact-sheets.
6. The debate: arguments and questions
What supporters argue
Supporters say U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico should have the same representation and the same federal programs as citizens in the states; that the territorial status has lost its majority; and that statehood is the only option that keeps U.S. citizenship while giving full voting rights.
What critics and other movements raise
Others raise the effect of federal income tax on island households and businesses, the protection of Spanish and Puerto Rican identity, the cost of the transition and Puerto Rico's debt, and whether past votes show a clear mandate given boycotts and blank ballots. Some parties and voters in Puerto Rico support independence or free association instead, and some prefer the current commonwealth arrangement.
Questions to ask about any proposal
When would admission take effect? How and when would representatives be elected? What federal programs change, and on what dates? How are language, education and local institutions treated? Reading the bill text, not slogans, is the best way to judge any proposal.
NAPREC's position: NAPREC supports equality through statehood and asks Congress to act on Puerto Rico's request with public hearings and recorded votes. The facts on this page link to official records so readers can check them, whatever their view.
7. Frequently asked questions
Is Puerto Rico a state?
No. Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory. It has its own constitution and elected government, but Congress has final authority over it under the Territory Clause of the Constitution.
Are Puerto Ricans U.S. citizens?
Yes. People born in Puerto Rico have been U.S. citizens by federal law since 1917.
How would Puerto Rico become a state?
Congress would have to pass an admission law and the President would have to sign it. A vote in Puerto Rico expresses a preference but cannot admit a state by itself.
Have Puerto Ricans voted for statehood?
Statehood received the most votes in 2012, 2017, 2020 and 2024. In 2020, 52.52% voted yes on admission as a state, and in 2024 statehood received 58.61%. Turnout and ballot design varied, and the 2017 vote was boycotted by opponents.
How many members of Congress would a State of Puerto Rico have?
Two senators, like every state. Using 2020 Census figures, it would have had about four House members and six electoral votes. The real number would depend on the census used at the time.
Would people in Puerto Rico pay federal income tax as a state?
Generally yes, like residents of other states. Today bona fide residents generally do not pay federal income tax on Puerto Rico-source income, though they pay Social Security and Medicare taxes. An admission law could set transition dates.
What are the other status options?
Besides statehood, the options usually discussed are independence and sovereignty in free association with the United States. The 2022 House bill offered those three choices. Some voters prefer the current commonwealth status.
Is there a statehood bill in Congress now?
As of October 24, 2026, no admission bill had been introduced in the 119th Congress. In October 2026, Puerto Rico's government formally asked Congress for admission, and the Governor said a new bill would follow when the new Congress is seated.
8. Sources and downloads
Download the 2-page fact sheet (PDF)
- U.S. Constitution, Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1 (Congress.gov)
- Congressional Research Service, RL32933 and R42765
- Puerto Rico State Elections Commission, 2024 plebiscite certification
- H.R. 8393 as passed by the House and roll call 529 (2022)
- H.R. 9246 (Congress.gov)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census, Puerto Rico
- Federal law: 8 U.S.C. § 1402, 42 U.S.C. § 1308, 42 U.S.C. § 1395w-114, 23 U.S.C. § 165 (Legal Information Institute)
- United States v. Vaello Madero, 596 U.S. 159 (2022)
- IRS Topic 901; CMS, Puerto Rico Medicaid; USDA, NAP block grants
Related reading
Reviewed November 9, 2026 by the NAPREC Editorial Team. Facts link to official records; NAPREC's own position is labeled as such. Figures will be updated when new official data are published.