To amend the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands to provide that the number of members on the legislature of the Virgin Islands and the number of such members constituting a quorum shall be determined by the laws of the Virgin Islands, and for other purposes.
Latest Action
Became Public Law No: 106-364.
Official Summary
Amends the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands with respect to the composition of the Virgin Islands legislature to declare that the number of senators composing such legislature (including the number of senators needed to constitute a quorum) shall be determined by Virgin Islands law.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™This bill amends the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands to delegate the authority to determine the number of members in the Virgin Islands legislature, as well as the quorum requirements, to the local laws of the Virgin Islands. Previously, these numbers were fixed by the Organic Act itself. The change allows the Virgin Islands legislature to set its own size and quorum rules through local legislation.
The bill shifts the authority to set the size and quorum of the Virgin Islands legislature from federal statute to local law, providing the territory with greater control over its legislative structure.
- Amends the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands regarding legislative composition.
- Specifies that the number of senators and quorum requirements will be determined by Virgin Islands law rather than federal statute.
- The bill was enacted and became Public Law No: 106-364 on October 27, 2000.
['The Virgin Islands legislature, which gains flexibility in determining its membership and quorum rules.', 'Residents of the Virgin Islands, who may experience legislative changes reflecting local preferences.']
['Implementation requires the Virgin Islands legislature to enact laws specifying membership and quorum, which may lead to variability or uncertainty until such laws are established.', 'Potential oversight challenges if local laws reduce quorum requirements or alter legislature size in ways that affect governance effectiveness.', 'No direct federal oversight mechanism is specified for changes made under this authority.']
The bill was introduced in the House during the 106th Congress and was signed into law in 2000. It reflects a legislative adjustment to delegate certain structural decisions about the Virgin Islands legislature to local authority, consistent with broader trends of territorial self-governance.
Hidden impact flags detected: 2
GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['Greater local control over legislative structure may lead to changes in legislative efficiency or representation that reflect local political dynamics.', 'Potential for future legislative adjustments in the Virgin Islands that could affect governance stability depending on quorum and membership rules adopted.']
The bill represents a shift in governance authority from federal statute to local law, which underscores the importance of monitoring how the Virgin Islands legislature exercises this authority. Transparency in the enactment of local laws determining legislature size and quorum will be critical to ensure accountability and effective governance. No full bill text is available to analyze specific language details.
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