Sponsors: Louis P. Hill Subject: An Act amending the Virgin Islands Code to correct the erroneous references to "United States Virgin Islands"

1. COMMITTEE ON RULES AND JUDICIARY
BILL NO. 28-0088
Twenty-Eighth Legislature of the Virgin Islands
July 6, 2009
An Act amending the Virgin Islands Code to correct the erroneous references to “United
States Virgin Islands”
PROPOSED BY: Senator Louis Patrick Hill
1 WHEREAS, the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands 48 U.S.C. §1541 (a) in
2 pertinent part provides: “The provisions of this Act and the name, Virgin Islands as used in
3 this Act shall apply to and include the territorial domain, islands cays and waters acquired by
4 the United States through cession of the Danish West Indian Islands; and
5 WHEREAS, in the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands, 48 U.S.C. §1591
6 Congress declared that the executive power of the Virgin Islands shall be vested in an
7 executive officer whose official title shall be the Governor of the Virgin Islands; and
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1 WHEREAS, in the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands, 48 U.S.C. §1571 (a)
2 Congress declared that the legislative power and authority of the Virgin Islands shall be
3 vested in a legislature consisting of one house, to be designated “Legislature of the Virgin
4 Islands: and
5 WHEREAS, the Virgin Islands Code Annotated is replete with approximately 1170
6 erroneous references to “Virgin Islands”, “Government of the United States Virgin Islands,”
7 Governor of the United States Virgin Islands” and to the Legislature of the United States
8 Virgin Islands”; and
9 WHEREAS, throughout the Virgin Islands Code the publisher’s revision notes state
10 that “United States” was inserted before “Virgin Islands” for clarity or for conformity with
11 V.I.C. style pursuant to section 14 of title 1; and
12 WHEREAS, pursuant to 1 V.I.C., §14, the publisher is authorized to correct
13 typographical and similar errors; and
14 WHEREAS, the publisher’s insertion of “United States” before “Virgin Islands” is
15 itself an error; and
16 WHEREAS, the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands is the basic charter of
17 government for the people of the virgin Islands, is comparable to a state constitution and
18 therefore governs the designation and naming of the institutions of the Virgin Islands; and
19 WHEREAS, inasmuch as the Virgin Islands Code is the official statement of the
20 general and permanent law of the Virgin Islands, the Legislature owes a duty to the people of
21 the Virgin Islands to ensure that the official names of major political institutions of the
22 Virgin Islands are properly cited; Now, Therefore,
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1 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands:
2 SECTION 1. The Virgin Islands Code is amended in titles 1 through 34 by striking
3 every occurrence of “United States” immediately preceding “Virgin Islands”.
4 BILL SUMMARY
5 The bill corrects the erroneous references to “United States Virgin Islands”
6 throughout the Virgin Islands Code.
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9 BR-09-0705 /July 6, 2009/YLT
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