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Federal Law Definition Change: "State" Now Includes U.S. Territories.

This bill standardizes how federal laws are interpreted. Moving forward, the term "State" in any Act of Congress or administrative regulation will automatically include U.S. territories (like Puerto Rico or Guam). This change ensures that residents of territories are generally covered by the same federal rights, programs, and obligations as residents of the 50 states, unless the specific law explicitly excludes them.
Key points
U.S. territories are automatically included in the definition of "State" for the purpose of interpreting federal law and regulations.
This rule increases legal parity and access to federal programs for territory residents by default.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
To amend title 1, United States Code, to provide for a definition of the term "State" and to include territories therein, and for other purposes.
Print number: HR 1423
Sponsor: Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large]
Process start date: 2021-02-26
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-flash-latest
Source data: api.congress.gov
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Summary & Status

Key Questions about Federal Law Definition Change: "State" Now Includes U.S. Territories.

A structured overview of the legislative process, official sources, status and civic context.

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is HR 1423.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2021-02-26.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • U.S. territories are automatically included in the definition of "State" for the purpose of interpreting federal law and regulations.
  • This rule increases legal parity and access to federal programs for territory residents by default.

What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2026-01-02.

Analysis and Potential Impact of HR 1423

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge. Review our public AI processing logs for full transparency, and use Lustra to track active legislation for instant status push notifications.

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