republic-os/legal/us/code/title-48/chapter-12/section-1571.md

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LegalText	48 U.S.C. § 1571	Legislature	us	united_states_code	code_section	48	TERRITORIES AND INSULAR POSSESSIONS	12	VIRGIN ISLANDS [1954]	1571	48 U.S.C. § 1571	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc48@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t48/s1571	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-48/usc48.xml	5f5c4d3b9109f6edb4ad825857240dc9234d51bc51c8c411b4b4bc4f402d1c43	2f9a72ec272e6666d7f55f52cc3186aefc6368ca4cc2b9053a531de2fb9288c2	e8aca1e6fb99f3bcb492dc3981d82971e9aa747c21a65d13bd70190d791cefe5	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

48 U.S.C. § 1571 - Legislature

Text

(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,

(July 22, 1954, ch. 558, § 5, 68 Stat. 498; Pub. L. 89–548, § 1, Aug. 30, 1966, 80 Stat. 371; Pub. L. 106–364, § 1, Oct. 27, 2000, 114 Stat. 1408.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments2000—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 AmendmentPub. 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.”