The bill is poorly drafted, so its impact is not entirely clear. But if it were to pass, it could put at risk the citizenship status for anyone born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or the Northern Mariana Islands as U.S. citizens on or after “January 1, 2027.” The bill creates a “limitation on citizenship” by amending the federal statutes addressing citizenship in each territory (although it actually mis-cites the relevant statutes for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam!). Assuming those cites are corrected, the bill would amend those federal statutes to read (changes in bold):

• Puerto Rico:  “All persons born in Puerto Rico … before January 1, 2027, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, are citizens of the United States at birth.” 8 U.S.C. § 1402.

• U.S. Virgin Islands:  “[A]ll persons born in [the Virgin Islands of the United States] on or after February 25, 1927, and before January 1, 2027, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, are declared to be citizens of the United States at birth.” 8 U.S.C. § 1406.

• Guam: “[P]ersons born in the island of Guam on or after April 11, 1899, whether before or after August 1, 1950, and before January 1, 2027, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, are declared to be citizens of the United States.”  8 U.S.C. § 1407.

• Northern Mariana Islands: “All persons born in the Commonwealth on or after the effective date of this Section and before January 1, 2027 are subject to the jurisdiction of the United States will be citizens of the United States at birth.  Section 303 of the Covenant, 48 U.S.C. § 1801.