To restore the ability of the people of American Samoa to approve amendments to the territorial constitution based on majority rule in a democratic act of self-determination, as authorized pursuant to an Act of Congress delegating administration of Federal territorial law in the territory to the President, and to the Secretary of the Interior under Executive Order 10264, dated June 29, 1951, under which the Constitution of American Samoa was approved and may be amended without requirement for further congressional action, subject to the authority of Congress under the Territorial Clause in article IV, section 3, clause 2 of the United States Constitution.
Public Law 118-232 · H.R. 6062 · 118th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Jan 4, 2025 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Aumua Amata Radewagen (R-AS)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. Gregorio Sablan, Rep. Jim Moylan
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
This act repeals the statute that prevents the people of American Samoa from approving amendments or modifications to the constitution of that territory. Under that statute, an act of Congress is required for such an amendment or modification.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · discharged from, markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Water and Power Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 26 actions.
- Jan 4, 2025Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 118-232.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 27, 2024FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 19, 2024FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 18, 2024FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 21, 2024CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 617.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Manchin without amendment. Without written report.
- Nov 19, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Sep 11, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Water and Power Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 9, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Jul 8, 2024FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6062.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Westerman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jun 27, 2024CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 466.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 118-564.
- May 7, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs Discharged
- Jan 18, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Hearings Held
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Jan 17, 2024CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs.
- Oct 25, 2023CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.