48 U.S.C. § 731 - Territory included under name Puerto Rico

• Cite as: 48 U.S.C. § 731

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the island of Puerto Rico and to the adjacent islands belonging to the United States and waters of those islands; and the name Puerto Rico, as used in this chapter, shall be held to include not only the island of that name, but all the adjacent islands as aforesaid.

Cite as 48 U.S.C. § 731

Source: Mar. 2, 1917, ch. 145, §1, 39 Stat. 951; May 17, 1932, ch. 190, 47 Stat. 158.

Notes from the Office of Law Revision Counsel

current through 5/22/2023

EDITORIAL NOTES

REFERENCES IN TEXT

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original "this Act", meaning act Mar. 2, 1917, ch. 145, 39 Stat. 951, known as the Puerto Rican Federal Relations Act and also popularly known as the Jones Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out below and Tables.

PRIOR PROVISIONS

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in act Apr. 12, 1900, ch. 191, 31 Stat. 77, which is popularly known as the "Foraker Act" and also as the "Puerto Rico Civil Code".

Section 1 of act Apr. 12, 1900, was similar to this section, except that it described the adjacent islands and waters of those islands as those lying east of the seventy-fourth meridian of longitude west of Greenwich, which were ceded to the United States by the Government of Spain by the treaty of Dec. 10, 1898, 30 Stat. 1754.

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

CHANGE OF NAME

"Puerto Rico" substituted in text for "Porto Rico" pursuant to act May 17, 1932, which is classified to section 731a of this title.

SHORT TITLE

Act July 3, 1950, ch. 446, §4, 64 Stat. 319, provided, in part, that the act of Mar. 2, 1917, ch. 145, 39 Stat. 951 [enacting this chapter, section 1019 of this title, section 46 of Title 2, The Congress, and section 358 of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality, and amending sections 325, 327, and 328 of former Title 39, Postal Service], may be cited as the "Puerto Rican Federal Relations Act". The act of Mar. 2, 1917, is also popularly known as the "Jones Act".

UNITED STATES-PUERTO RICO COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF PUERTO RICO

Pub. L. 88-271, Feb. 20, 1964, 78 Stat. 17, as amended by Pub. L. 89-84, July 24, 1965, 79 Stat. 261, established a United States-Puerto Rico Commission on the Status of Puerto Rico to study all factors, including but not limited to applicable laws, treaties, constitutions, and agreements having a bearing on the relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico. The Commission was required to render its report to the President of the United States, the Congress of the United States, the Governor of Puerto Rico, and the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico not later than Sept. 30, 1966.