Article III — Legislative Branch
10 sections · 0 paragraphs in this article.
The U.S. Virgin Islands has no constitution of its own — five constitutional conventions have failed to produce one. The federal Revised Organic Act of 1954 serves as its founding charter, establishing the three branches of the territorial government and a bill of rights. Codified at 48 U.S.C. ch. 12.
48 U.S.C. § 1571 § 1571. Legislature
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(a) Designation and unicameral character The legislative power and authority of the Virgin Islands shall be vested in a legislature, consisting of one house, to be designated the "Legislature of the Virgin Islands", herein referred to as the legislature. (b) Composition; legislat…
48 U.S.C. § 1572 § 1572. Legislators
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(a) Terms of office The term of office of each member of the legislature shall be two years. The term of office of each member shall commence on the second Monday in January following his election: Provided, however, That the term of office of each member elected in November 1958…
48 U.S.C. § 1573 § 1573. Time, frequency, and duration of regular sessions; special sessions; place of holding
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(a) Regular sessions of the legislature shall be held annually, commencing on the second Monday in January (unless the legislature shall by law fix a different date), and shall continue for such term as the legislature may provide. The Governor may call special sessions of the le…
48 U.S.C. § 1574 § 1574. Legislative powers and activities
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(a) Scope of authority; limitation on enactments and taxation The legislative authority and power of the Virgin Islands shall extend to all rightful subjects of legislation not inconsistent with this chapter or the laws of the United States made applicable to the Virgin Islands, …
48 U.S.C. § 1574–1 § 1574–1. Applicability of laws referred to in section 502(a)(1) of Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
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Effective on the date when section 502 of the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union With the United States of America, approved by joint resolution approved on March 24, 1976 (90 Stat. 263) goes into force those laws which are ref…
48 U.S.C. § 1574a § 1574a. Revenue bonds or other obligations
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(a) Authorization for issuance; use of proceeds; legislative initiative and binding referendum vote In addition to the authority conferred by section 1574(b) of this title, the legislature of the government of the Virgin Islands is authorized to cause to be issued bonds or other …
48 U.S.C. § 1574b § 1574b. Federal guarantee for issuance of revenue bonds or other obligations
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(a) Application to Secretary of the Interior; contents When authorized under subsection (b) of section 1574a of this title, the government of the Virgin Islands may apply to the Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter referred to as the "Secretary") for a guarantee of any issue of…
48 U.S.C. § 1574c § 1574c. Priority for payment of principal and interest of revenue bonds or other obligations
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Each issue of bonds or other obligations issued under subsection (a) of section 1574a of this title shall have a parity lien with every other issue of bonds or other obligations issued for payment of principal and interest out of revenues received under section 7652(b)(3) of titl…
48 U.S.C. § 1575 § 1575. Legislative procedure
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(a) Quorum and method of voting on bills The number of members of the legislature needed to constitute a quorum shall be determined by the laws of the Virgin Islands. No bill shall become a law unless it shall have been passed at a meeting, at which a quorum was present, by the a…
48 U.S.C. § 1576 § 1576. General elections; time; transfer of Council functions, property, etc.
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The next general election in the Virgin Islands shall be held on November 2, 1954. At such time there shall be chosen the entire membership of the legislature as herein provided. Thereafter the general elections shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in Novembe…