Bill Outline
Joint Resolution admitting Puerto Rico and New Amsterdam as states to the union;
 and implementation act.

 
§ 1 a) This resolution authorizes the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the State of New Amsterdam to be admitted to the union as states; both states shall be admitted to the union at the same time. Since the State of New Amsterdam must be released by the State of New York legislature to allow its admission; the admission of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall be delayed until the State of New Amsterdam is free to enter the union.
b) This act requires the United States District chief judge of the district of Puerto Rico shall appoint a special master to arrange a binding vote of the people of Puerto Rico on whether Commonwealth of Puerto Rico should enter the union as a state.
c) This act requires the United States District Court chief judge of the Northern District of New York shall appoint a special master to arrange a binding vote limited to the voters who reside, in counties listed in section 4, on whether state of New Amsterdam should enter the union as a state using the constitution mentioned in section 6.
 
§ 2If both states vote to join the union they will be admitted to the union at noon on January 3rd of an odd numbered year as soon both votes’ results in section 1 are certified; the State of New Amsterdam and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico elections of United States Senators and Representatives will be held on Election Day in November before their admission date. However, if one or both votes’ results in section 1 are certified, in September, October, November or December of an even numbered year, admission to the union shall be delayed two years from noon on January 3rd immediately following, the votes.
 
§ 3 The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall keep it current Constitution, elected officials and shall chose four (4) Representatives in the United States house until the next census and the total number of Representatives in the house shall be permanently increased from Four hundred thirty-five (435) to Four hundred thirty-nine (439). The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’s two United States Senators shall be class I and class III. The twenty-six (26) Representatives in the United States house from the State of New York shall be apportioned, between the State of New York and the State of New Amsterdam. The State of New York shall have Thirteen (13) Representatives in the United States house, and the State of New Amsterdam shall have Thirteen (13) Representatives in the United States house, until the next census. The State of New Amsterdam two United States Senators shall be class I and class II. After the next census results become available, following the admission of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the State of New Amsterdam to the union, Add the following to 2 U.S. Code § 2: the number of Representatives in the United States house shall be increased to Four hundred and fifty-five (455) starting with the 2032 election whose Representatives take office at noon on January 3, 2033; every 50 years thereafter the number of Representatives in the United States house shall be increased by twenty Representatives.
 
§ 4The State of New Amsterdam shall consist of the counties of Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, St Lawrence, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates currently in the State of New York. Elections of New Amsterdam officials shall then be scheduled as stated in section 6.
 
§ 5United States Court districts: the Western District of New York shall be renamed Western District of New Amsterdam; Northern District of New York shall be renamed Eastern District of New Amsterdam, and Dutchess, Orange, Nassau, Putnam, Suffolk, and Sullivan counties shall be in the new Southeastern District of New Amsterdam which shall have nine District Judges and nine Magistrate Judges. New Amsterdam United States Court districts shall be subject to United States courts of appeals for third circuit (Philadelphia). The remaining New York state United States Court districts court districts shall have their boundaries truncated by New York state’s new boundaries.
 
§ 6The United States District Court chief judge of the Northern District of New York shall appoint a special master, as soon as possible to handle the creation of New Amsterdam as soon as this act becomes operative, and New Amsterdam is released by the State of New York legislature to allow its admission. The State of New Amsterdam will use the State of New Amsterdam constitution included with this act as New Amsterdam’s governing document. The special master shall draw the districts of members of the New Amsterdam General Assembly according to § 13 and § 17 of the New Amsterdam constitution. This special master shall also draw seven districts for members of the New Amsterdam supreme court according to § 29 of the New Amsterdam constitution. This special master shall then conduct special elections for the offices listed in § 77 of the New Amsterdam constitution to be held on the same date as Representatives in the United States house for the State of New Amsterdam are elected, after New Amsterdam is released by the State of New York legislature; these officials shall take office as soon as their election is certified. Putnam and Nassau counties shall be considered adjacent when drawing districts. This special master shall also draw the Thirteen (13) districts for the Congressional Representatives in the United States house for the State of New Amsterdam to be chosen on Election Day in November just before New Amsterdam’s admission date to the union; 2022 New York Congressional district 17 and 2022 New York Congressional district 3 shall be merged since they would cross the new state border; the rest of these new districts’ boundaries shall be kept as close as possible to the existing 2022 districts’ boundaries under the state of New York.
 
§ 7The State of New York and the State of New Amsterdam shall negotiate to divide debt, pension funds and pension liabilities between them. Except as otherwise stated in this section all State of New York real property including but not limited that exist entirely within the boundaries of the State New Amsterdam shall become the State of New Amsterdam real property. All debts will be divided based on each state's population. Authorities, and other government managed corporations, who have some of their board members appointed by the Governor or other New York State officials and will exist in both states shall be divided; the State New Amsterdam will either take over its share of Authorities or other government managed corporation debt or assign the debt and assets by New Amsterdam law to newly created New Amsterdam Authorities. Authorities’ or other government managed corporation’s assets, property, leases that exist entirely within the boundaries of the State New Amsterdam shall either be taken over by State New Amsterdam or assigned by New Amsterdam law to newly created New Amsterdam Authorities. Equipment, media, and vehicles shall be divided equitably as negotiated between the two states.
For those already receiving pension benefits for employment with New York state, its local governments, school districts, other districts or agencies, pension liabilities shall remain with the State of New York; however, local governments, school districts, other districts or agencies which are now within the State of New Amsterdam shall still contribute a just amount for those who earned their New York pensions while working for those local governments school districts, other districts or agencies, who have or will retire and receive a pension from the New York State and Local Retirement System, or the New York teachers’ retirement system, the exact amounts shall be negotiated between State of New York and the State on New Amsterdam. For active employees who become State of New Amsterdam employees or are employees in local governments, school districts, other districts or agencies now within the State of New Amsterdam they shall retain any vested rights in New York State and Local Retirement System, or New York State teachers’ retirement system; plus, they may join a State of New Amsterdam pension plan for additional future benefits; however for active employees who become State of New Amsterdam employees or are employees in local governments, special districts now within the State of New Amsterdam who because of their job, are normally eligible to receive pension benefits at more than twenty or twenty-five-years’ service notwithstanding their age, both the State of New Amsterdam pension plan and the New York State and Local Retirement System, shall pay the benefits in proportion to the number of years’ service that employee worked under each system when that employee’s total service under both systems exceeds the minimum number of years required.
Also, the State of New Amsterdam will retain ownership of one correctional facility for females, and two correctional facilities for males; the rest of the existing correctional facilities in its territory shall be continued to be owned by the State of New York until the year of our lord two thousand one hundred (2100); inmates shall serve their sentences in a facility owned by the state whose territory their crime(s) were committed. The City of New York retains ownership of its existing water system in State of New Amsterdam; the State of New Amsterdam, local governments, school districts, other districts or agencies now within the State of New Amsterdam may not force the City of New York to sell any part of its water system.
The State of New York and the State of New Amsterdam may require the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, and the Long Island Rail Road Company, to be owned and operated by National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Amtrak.
If the two states cannot agree, on anything in this act, either may file suit in the US Supreme Court to have the court settle these issues equitably.
§ 8The State of New Amsterdam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and State of New York shall divide sixty (60) billion dollars equally from the United States treasury for transition costs once the State of New Amsterdam is released by the State of New York legislature to become a state, or territory, and most of the New Amsterdam officials’ elections have been certified.