PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Gives law-making power to one legislative body called the Legislature of the Virgin Islands. Its members are called senators, and the total number of senators is set by Virgin Islands law. How seats are divided is also decided by local law but must give equal protection to everyone. In any district or at-large race, each voter must be allowed to vote for as many candidates as there are seats. Until changed, there are 4 at-large senators, 5 from Saint Thomas, 5 from Saint Croix, and 1 from Saint John, using the districts as they were on July 22, 1954.

Title 48, §1571

Territories and Insular Possessions, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(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; legislative districts; method of elections

The legislature shall be composed of members to be known as senators. The number of such senators shall be determined by the laws of the Virgin Islands. The apportionment of the legislature shall be as provided by the laws of the Virgin Islands: Provided, That such apportionment shall not deny to any person in the Virgin Islands the equal protection of the law: And provided further, That every voter in any district election or at large election shall be permitted to vote for the whole number of persons to be elected in that district election or at large election as the case may be. Until the legislature shall provide otherwise, four members shall be elected at large, five shall be elected from the District of Saint Thomas, five from the District of Saint Croix, and one from the District of Saint John, as those Districts were constituted on July 22, 1954,

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2000—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–364 struck out “fifteen” after “composed of” in first sentence and inserted “The number of such senators shall be determined by the laws of the Virgin Islands.” after first sentence. 1966—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 89–548 raised from eleven to fifteen the total number of senators in the legislature, substituted provision that the legislature be apportioned according to the laws of the Virgin Islands for provisions spelling out the division of the Virgin Islands into districts, the composition of each such district, and the district and at-large representation breakdown of the senators in the legislature, struck out provision for the casting of a ballot for two candidates by each elector in at-large elections and the drawing of lots to determine placement on the ballot in at-large elections, prohibited apportionment in a way which would deny equal protection of the law, and provided for temporary apportionment until the legislature provided otherwise from the districts as constituted on July 22, 1954.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1966 Amendment Pub. L. 89–548, § 2, Aug. 30, 1966, 80 Stat. 371, provided that: “This Act [amending this section] shall be effective with respect to the legislature to be elected at the regular general election in November 1966, and thereafter.”

§1571 Legislature