On January 24, 2007, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution amending House rules to grant limited voting rights to federal lawmakers from US territories. The resolution introduced extended certain Congressional voting rights to delegates from the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa. It allowed them to serve on House committees in the same capacity as other representatives, and to vote in the Committee of the Whole on the final disposition of legislation unless they cast the decisive vote, in which case the vote must be held again. The House later voted to seat a delegate from the Northern Mariana Islands, taking office in the 111th Congress.



Learn more about laws governing US territories from the US Department of Interior.