
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 48USC731]

 
              TITLE 48--TERRITORIES AND INSULAR POSSESSIONS
 
                         CHAPTER 4--PUERTO RICO
 
                    SUBCHAPTER I--GENERAL PROVISIONS
 
Sec. 731. Territory included under name Puerto Rico

    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.

(Mar. 2, 1917, ch. 145, Sec. 1, 39 Stat. 951; May 17, 1932, ch. 190, 47 
Stat. 158.)

                       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, as amended, 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.

                         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, Sec. 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.


                      Administration of Government

    The administration of the Government of Puerto Rico was transferred 
from the Bureau of Insular Affairs to the Office of Territories 
(formerly the Division of Territories and Island Possessions and now the 
Office of Territorial Affairs), in the Department of the Interior by 
Executive Order No. 6726, eff. May 29, 1934, eff. Mar. 2, 1935. For 
present government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, see section 731d 
of this title.
