Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 48


   

U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Chapter 12 - Notes
                     SUBCHAPTER I - GENERAL PROVISIONS                 
    Sec.                                                     
    1541.       Organization and status.                              
                  (a)  Composition and territorial designation.       
                  (b)  Powers and legal status of government; capital
                        and seat of government.                       
                  (c)  Administrative supervision by Secretary of the
                        Interior.                                     
    1542.       Voting franchise; discrimination prohibited.          
    1543.       United States citizenship requirement for government
                 officials.                                           
    1544.       Reports by Governor; jurisdiction of Secretary of the
                 Interior; exceptions.                                
    1545.       Lease and sale of public property; conveyance of title
                 in certain lands to the government of Virgin Islands.
    1546.       Authorization of appropriations.                      
                      SUBCHAPTER II - BILL OF RIGHTS                  
    1561.       Rights and prohibitions.                              
                    SUBCHAPTER III - LEGISLATIVE BRANCH                
    1571.       Legislature.                                          
                  (a)  Designation and unicameral character.          
                  (b)  Composition; legislative districts; method of
                        elections.                                    
    1572.       Legislators.                                          
                  (a)  Terms of office.                               
                  (b)  Qualifications of members.                     
                  (c)  Appointment of electoral officers; popular
                        election of members of boards of election.    
                  (d)  Immunity of members.                           
                  (e)  Compensation and allowances.                   
                  (f)  Limitations on holding other office.           
                  (g)  General powers; parliamentary rules.           
                  (h)  Vacancies.                                     
    1573.       Time, frequency, and duration of regular sessions;
                 special sessions; place of holding.                  
    1574.       Legislative powers and activities.                    
                  (a)  Scope of authority; limitation on enactments
                        and taxation.                                 
                  (b)  Government bonds; maximum amount; sale,
                        interest, etc.                                
                  (c)  Applicability of laws and ordinances; amendment
                        or repeal.                                    
                  (d), (e) Repealed.                                  
                  (f)  Customs duty; duty-free importation; effect on
                        other customs laws.                           
    1574-1.     Applicability of laws referred to in section 502(a)(1)
                 of Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the
                 Northern Mariana Islands.                            
    1574a.      Revenue bonds or other obligations.                   
                  (a)  Authorization for issuance; use of proceeds;
                        legislative initiative and binding referendum
                        vote.                                         
                  (b)  Federal guarantee.                             
                  (c)  Limitations on issuance.                       
    1574b.      Federal guarantee for issuance of revenue bonds or
                 other obligations.                                   
                  (a)  Application to Secretary of the Interior;
                        contents.                                     
                  (b)  Terms and conditions of guarantee or commitment
                        to guarantee; determination by Secretary of
                        approval.                                     
                  (c)  Administrative costs; deposit of fees.         
                  (d)  Conclusiveness and incontestability; pledge of
                        full faith and credit.                        
                  (e)  Interest on guaranteed obligations taxable.    
                  (f)  Maximum amount guaranteed; time limitations on
                        commitments to guarantee, obligation of
                        guaranteed but unobligated funds, and
                        repayment of unobligated proceeds of bonds or
                        other obligations.                            
                  (g)  Revolving fund; establishment; submission of
                        budget to Congress; payments; transfers from
                        fund to general fund of Treasury; issuance and
                        sale of notes or other obligations for
                        guarantees.                                   
    1574c.      Priority for payment of principal and interest of
                 revenue bonds or other obligations.                  
    1574d.      Repealed.                                             
    1575.       Legislative procedure.                                
                  (a)  Quorum and method of voting on bills.          
                  (b)  Enacting clause of acts.                       
                  (c)  Governor's message and budget.                 
                  (d)  Approval and disapproval of bills.             
                  (e)  Use of prior appropriations upon failure to
                        pass appropriation bills.                     
                  (f)  Journal of proceedings; contents.              
                  (g)  Transmittal of laws to Congress.               
    1576.       General elections; time; transfer of Council
                 functions, property, etc.                            
                     SUBCHAPTER IV - EXECUTIVE BRANCH                 
    1591.       Governor and Lieutenant Governor; election;
                 eligibility; official residence; powers and duties;
                 report.                                              
    1592.       Repealed.                                             
    1593.       Initiative and recall.                                
                  (a)  Grant of rights.                               
                  (b)  Initiative.                                    
                  (c)  Recall.                                        
                  (d)  "Law" and "voter" defined.                     
    1594.       Repealed.                                             
    1595.       Vacancy in office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor. 
                  (a)  Temporary disability or temporary absence of
                        Governor.                                     
                  (b)  Permanent vacancy in office of Governor;
                        Lieutenant Governor as Governor; term of
                        office.                                       
                  (c)  Temporary disability or temporary absence of
                        Lieutenant Governor; president of legislature
                        as Lieutenant Governor.                       
                  (d)  Permanent vacancy in office of Lieutenant
                        Governor; Governor to appoint new Lieutenant
                        Governor with advice and consent of
                        legislature; term of office.                  
                  (e)  Temporary disability or temporary absence of
                        Governor and Lieutenant Governor; appointment
                        of Acting Governor; permanent vacancies in
                        offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor;
                        appointment of Governor.                      
                  (f)  Additional compensation.                       
    1596.       Repealed.                                             
    1597.       Reorganization of government.                         
                  (a)  Consolidation of departments, bureaus, etc.;
                        popular election of school board members.     
                  (b)  Changes after examination from time to time.   
                  (c)  Appointment of department heads; tenure;
                        removal; powers and duties; appointments to
                        boards, etc.                                  
    1598.       Omitted.                                              
    1599.       Transfer of functions from government comptroller for
                 Virgin Islands to Inspector General, Department of
                 the Interior.                                        
                  (a)  Functions, powers, and duties transferred.     
                  (b)  Scope of authority transferred.                
                  (c)  Transfer of personnel, assets, etc., of office
                        of government comptroller for Virgin Islands
                        to Office of Inspector General, Department of
                        the Interior.                                 
                      SUBCHAPTER V - JUDICIAL BRANCH                  
    1611.       District Court of Virgin Islands; local courts;
                 jurisdiction; practice and procedure.                
                  (a)  District Court of Virgin Islands; local courts.
                  (b)  Jurisdiction.                                  
                  (c)  Practice and procedure.                        
    1612.       Jurisdiction of District Court.                       
                  (a)  Jurisdiction.                                  
                  (b)  General jurisdiction; limitations.             
                  (c)  Criminal offenses; concurrent jurisdiction with
                        local courts.                                 
    1613.       Relations between courts of United States and courts
                 of Virgin Islands; review by United States Court of
                 Appeals for Third Circuit; reports to Congress;
                 rules.                                               
    1613a.      Appellate jurisdiction of District Court; procedure;
                 review by United States Court of Appeals for Third
                 Circuit; rules; appeals to appellate court.          
                  (a)  Appellate jurisdiction of District Court.      
                  (b)  Appellate division of District Court; quorum;
                        presiding judge; designation of judges;
                        decisions.                                    
                  (c)  United States Court of Appeals for Third
                        Circuit; jurisdiction; appeals; rules.        
                  (d)  Appeals to appellate court; effect on District
                        Court.                                        
    1614.       Judges of District Court.                             
                  (a)  Appointment; tenure; removal; chief judge;
                        compensation.                                 
                  (b)  Criminal offenses; procedure; definitions;
                        indictment and information.                   
                  (c)  United States marshal.                         
    1615.       Judicial divisions.                                   
    1616.       Trial by jury.                                        
    1617.       United States attorney; appointment; duties.          
                    SUBCHAPTER VI - SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS                
    1631.       Establishment and maintenance; scope.                 
    1632.       Repealed.                                             
                    SUBCHAPTER VII - FISCAL PROVISIONS                
    1641.       Method of payment of official salaries.               
    1642.       Use of certain proceeds for expenditure; income tax
                 obligations of inhabitants.                          
    1642a.      Availability of collected customs duties for
                 expenditures as Legislature may provide.             
    1643.       Import provisions with respect to trade-marks.        
    1644.       Import duties on articles entering United States or
                 possessions from Virgin Islands.                     
    1645.       Remittance of duties, taxes, and fees to be collected
                 in next fiscal year; authorization, prerequisites,
                 amount, etc.                                         
         CONSTITUTIONS FOR VIRGIN ISLANDS AND GUAM: ESTABLISHMENT;
                        CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION
      Pub. L. 94-584, Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2899, as amended by Pub.
    L. 96-597, title V, Sec. 501, Dec. 24, 1980, 94 Stat. 3479,
    provided:
      "[Section 1. Authorization to organize governments] That the
    Congress, recognizing the basic democratic principle of government
    by the consent of the governed, authorizes the peoples of the
    Virgin Islands and of Guam, respectively, to organize governments
    pursuant to constitutions of their own adoption as provided in this
    Act.
      "Sec. 2. [Constitutional conventions and draft provisions] (a)
    The Legislatures of the Virgin Islands and Guam, respectively, are
    authorized to call constitutional conventions to draft, within the
    existing territorial-Federal relationship, constitutions for the
    local self-government of the people of the Virgin Islands and Guam.
      "(b) Such constitutions shall - 
        "(1) recognize, and be consistent with, the sovereignty of the
      United States over the Virgin Islands and Guam, respectively, and
      the supremacy of the provisions of the Constitution, treaties,
      and laws of the United States applicable to the Virgin Islands
      and Guam, respectively, including, but not limited to, those
      provisions of the Organic Act [section 1405 et seq. of this
      title] and Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands [this
      chapter] and the Organic Act of Guam [section 1421 et seq. of
      this title] which do not relate to local self-government.
        "(2) provide for a republican form of government, consisting of
      three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial;
        "(3) contain a bill of rights;
        "(4) deal with the subject matter of those provisions of the
      Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands of 1954, as amended,
      and the Organic Act of Guam, as amended, respectively, which
      relate to local self-government;
        "(5) with reference to Guam, provided that the voting franchise
      may be vested only in residents of Guam who are citizens of the
      United States;
        "(6) provide for a system of local courts consistent with the
      provisions of the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands, as
      amended; and
        "(7) provide for the establishment of a system of local courts
      the provisions of which shall become effective no sooner than
      upon the enactment of legislation regulating the relationship
      between the local courts of Guam with the Federal judicial
      system.
      "Sec. 3. [Selection and qualification of members] The members of
    such constitutional conventions shall be chosen as provided by the
    laws of the Virgin Islands and Guam, respectively (enacted after
    the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 21, 1976]): Provided,
    however, That no person shall be eligible to be a member of the
    constitutional conventions, unless he is a citizen of the United
    States and qualified to vote in the Virgin Islands and Guam,
    respectively.
      "Sec. 4. [Submittal of proposed constitutions to governors and
    President] The conventions shall submit to the Governor of the
    Virgin Islands a proposed constitution for the Virgin Islands and
    to the Governor of Guam a proposed constitution for Guam which
    shall comply with the requirements set forth in section 2(b) above.
    Such constitutions shall be submitted to the President of the
    United States by the Governors of the Virgin Islands and Guam.
      "Sec. 5. [Transmittal to Congress and submittal to voters] Within
    sixty calendar days after the respective date on which he has
    received each constitution, the President shall transmit such
    constitution together with his comments to the Congress. The
    constitution, in each case, shall be deemed to have been approved
    by the Congress within sixty legislative days (not interrupted by
    an adjournment sine die of the Congress) after its submission by
    the President, unless prior to that date the Congress has approved
    the constitution, or modified or amended it, in whole or in part,
    by joint resolution. As so approved or modified, the constitutions
    shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the Virgin Islands
    and Guam, respectively, for acceptance or rejection through
    islandwide referendums to be conducted as provided under the laws
    of the Virgin Islands and Guam, respectively, (enacted after the
    date of enactment of this Act) [Oct. 21, 1976]. Upon approval by
    not less than a majority of the votes (counting only the
    affirmative or negative votes) participating in such referendums,
    the constitutions shall become effective in accordance with their
    terms."
-SECREF-
                   CHAPTER REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS               
      This chapter is referred to in sections 1469a-1, 1645 of this
    title.
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