The provisions of this subchapter, and the name “the Virgin Islands” as used in this subchapter, shall apply to and include the territorial domain, lands and waters acquired by the United States through cession of the Danish West Indian Islands by the convention between the United States of America and His Majesty the King of Denmark entered into August 4, 1916, and ratified by the Senate on September 7, 1916 (39 Stat. L. 1706).
(June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §1, 49 Stat. 1807.)
Section 1405a, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §2, 49 Stat. 1807, related to division of Virgin Islands into municipality of Saint Croix and municipality of Saint Thomas and Saint John.
Section 1405b, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §3, 49 Stat. 1807, related to constituting into bodies politic and juridic of inhabitants of municipalities of Saint Croix and of Saint Thomas and Saint John.
All property which may have been acquired by the United States from Denmark in the Virgin Islands under the convention entered into August 4, 1916, not reserved by the United States for public purposes prior to June 22, 1937, is placed under the control of the Government of the Virgin Islands.
Except as otherwise expressly provided, all laws of the United States for the protection and improvement of the navigable waters of the United States shall apply to the Virgin Islands.
No Federal laws levying tonnage duties, light money, or entrance and clearance fees shall apply to the Virgin Islands.
The legislature of the Virgin Islands shall have power to enact navigation, boat inspection, and safety laws of local application; but the President shall have power to make applicable to the Virgin Islands such of the navigation, vessel inspection, and coastwise laws of the United States as he may find and declare to be necessary in the public interest, and, to the extent that the laws so made applicable conflict with any laws of local application enacted by the legislature, such laws enacted by the legislature shall have no force and effect.
Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to affect or impair in any manner the terms and conditions of any authorizations, permits, or other powers heretofore lawfully granted or exercised in or in respect of the Virgin Islands by any authorized officer or agent of the United States.
(June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §4, 49 Stat. 1808; Aug. 7, 1939, ch. 515, 53 Stat. 1242; Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 654, §1(127), 65 Stat. 706; Pub. L. 97–357, title III, §306, Oct. 19, 1982, 96 Stat. 1709.)
1982—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97–357 substituted “legislature” for “Legislative Assembly” wherever appearing.
1951—Subsec. (f). Act Oct. 31, 1951, repealed subsec. (f) which authorized the Secretary of the Interior to lease or sell any property under his administrative supervision in the Virgin Islands not needed for public purposes.
1939—Act Aug. 7, 1939, designated existing provisions as subsecs. (a), (b), (e), and (f) and added subsecs. (c) and (d).
Pub. L. 101–640, title IV, §406, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4647, provided that:
“(a)
“(b)
“(c)
Ex. Ord. No. 9170, eff. May 21, 1942, 7 F.R. 384, provided in part:
It is ordered that all of the navigation and vessel inspection laws of the United States be, and they are hereby, made applicable to the Virgin Islands of the United States, with the following exceptions:
(1) The coastwise laws of the United States.
(2) The act of Congress approved June 7, 1897 (30 Stat. 96), as amended by the acts of February 19, 1900 (31 Stat. 30), May 25, 1914 (38 Stat. 381), March 1, 1933 (47 Stat. 1417), Aug. 21, 1935 (49 Stat. 668, 669), May 20, 1936 (49 Stat. 1367), and April 22, 1940 (54 Stat. 150).
(3) So much of the vessel inspection laws of the United States as requires the inspection as a passenger vessel of any cargo vessel, foreign or domestic, when carrying more than twelve passengers or persons in addition to the crew.
(4) Federal laws levying tonnage duties, light money, or entrance and clearance fees.
Section 1405d, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §5, 49 Stat. 1808, related to composition, election, and legislative powers of Municipal Council of Saint Croix.
Section 1405e, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §6, 49 Stat. 1808, related to composition, election, and legislative powers of Municipal Council of Saint Thomas and Saint John.
Section 1405f, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §7, 49 Stat. 1808, related to composition, meetings, and powers of two municipal councils to be known as the Legislative Assembly of the Virgin Islands.
Section 1405g, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §8, 49 Stat. 1809, related to time of holding elections.
Section 1405h, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §9, 49 Stat. 1809, related to eligibility for membership in municipal councils.
Section 1405i, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §10, 49 Stat. 1809, related to compensation and travel expenses of municipal council members.
Section 1405j, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §11, 49 Stat. 1809, related to powers of municipal councils, exemption of members from liability for debate in council, and privilege from arrest.
Section 1405k, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §12, 49 Stat. 1809, related to appointment by each municipal council of members to serve on Municipal Committee and powers of Municipal Committee.
Section 1405l, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §13, 49 Stat. 1810, related to time and place of meetings of each municipal council.
Section 1405m, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §14, 49 Stat. 1810, related to introduction of bills in municipal councils by Governor, submission to councils of a budget of estimated receipts and expenditures, and submission of reports.
Section 1405n, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §15, 49 Stat. 1810, related to quorum of councils, vote on adoption of bills, and a journal of proceedings.
Section 1405o, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §16, 49 Stat. 1810, related to acts of councils and assembly, approval or veto thereof by Governor, submission of repassed vetoed bills to the President, annulment of acts by Congress, and authorization of appropriations.
Section 1405p, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §17, 49 Stat. 1811, related to vesting of voting franchise in residents of the Virgin Islands who are citizens of the United States and prescription by legislative assembly of additional qualifications.
The laws of the United States applicable to the Virgin Islands on June 22, 1936, and all local laws and ordinances in force on such date in the Virgin Islands, not inconsistent with this subchapter, shall continue in force and effect: Provided, That the Municipal Council of Saint Croix and the Municipal Council of Saint Thomas and Saint John, and the legislative assembly, shall have power when not inconsistent with this subchapter and within their respective jurisdictions, to amend, alter, modify, or repeal any law of the United States of local application only, or any ordinance, public or private, civil or criminal, continued in force and effect by this subchapter, except as herein otherwise provided, and to enact new laws and ordinances not inconsistent with this subchapter and not inconsistent with the laws of the United States hereafter made applicable to the Virgin Islands or any part thereof, subject to the power of the Congress to annul the same. The laws of the United States relating to patents, trade marks, and copyrights, and to the enforcement of rights arising thereunder, shall have the same force and effect in the Virgin Islands as in the continental United States, and the District Court of the Virgin Islands shall have the same jurisdiction in causes arising under such laws as is exercised by United States district courts.
(June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §18, 49 Stat. 1811.)
The laws of the United States relating to patents, trade marks, and copyrights, referred to in text, are classified generally to Title 35, Patents, chapter 22 (§1051 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, and Title 17, Copyrights.
Section, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §19, 49 Stat. 1811, related to scope of legislative power of Virgin Islands and prohibition of tax discrimination against property of nonresidents.
Section 1405s, acts June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §20, 49 Stat. 1812; Dec. 26, 1941, ch. 637, 55 Stat. 872, related to executive branch of Government, and to appointment, powers and duties of Governor.
Section 1405s–1, act Oct. 15, 1949, ch. 695, §5(a), 63 Stat. 880, prescribed compensation of Governor.
This section was not enacted as part of the Organic Act of the Virgin Islands of the United States which comprises this subchapter.
Section 1405t, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §21, 49 Stat. 1812, related to appointment, powers and duties of Government Secretary.
Section 1405u, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §22, 49 Stat. 1812, related to appointment of an Administrator for Saint Croix to act for Governor.
Section 1405v, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §23, 49 Stat. 1813, related to appointment of such other executive and administrative officers as may be required in discretion of Secretary of the Interior.
Section 1405w, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §24, 49 Stat. 1813, related to appointment of all salaried officers and employees of municipal governments by Governor with advice and consent of municipal council having jurisdiction.
Section, act July 3, 1945, ch. 262, §1, 59 Stat. 359, which related to appointment of an executive assistant to Governor and legal counsel, was superseded by section 1591 of this title. Section was not enacted as part of the Organic Act of the Virgin Islands of the United States which comprises this subchapter.
Section, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §25, 49 Stat. 1813, related to vesting of judicial power in District Court of Virgin Islands, organization and conduct of a Superior Court, and appeals from Superior Court.
Section, acts June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §26, 49 Stat. 1813; Aug. 5, 1939, ch. 430, 53 Stat. 1203; June 25, 1948, ch. 646, §28, 62 Stat. 991; Feb. 10, 1954, ch. 6, §3(a), 68 Stat. 12, related to appointment of a judge of district court, a special judge, district attorney, and court officers.
Section 1405z, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §27, 49 Stat. 1813, related to two divisions of District Court of Virgin Islands, terms of court, rules of practice, and process.
Section 1406, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §28, 49 Stat. 1814, related to jurisdiction of district court generally.
Section 1406a, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §29, 49 Stat. 1814, related to jurisdiction of district court over crimes committed on the high seas.
Section 1406b, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §30, 49 Stat. 1814, related to appeals from District Court of Virgin Islands.
Section 1406c, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §31, 49 Stat. 1814, related to jury trials in criminal cases.
Section 1406d, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §32, 49 Stat. 1814, related to jurisdiction of inferior courts.
Section 1406e, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §33, 49 Stat. 1815, related to appeals from inferior courts to district court.
All judicial process shall run in the name of “United States of America, scilicet, the President of the United States”, and all penal or criminal prosecutions in the local courts shall be conducted in the name of and by authority of “the People of the Virgin Islands of the United States.”
(June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §37, 49 Stat. 1817.)
Section, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §34, 49 Stat. 1815, related to bill of rights of Virgin Islands.
All taxes, duties, fees, and public revenues collected in the municipality of Saint Croix shall be covered into the treasury of the Virgin Islands and held in account for said municipality and all taxes, duties, fees, and public revenues collected in the municipality of Saint Thomas and Saint John shall be covered into said treasury of the Virgin Islands and held in account for said municipality: Provided, That the proceeds of customs duties, less the cost of collection, and the proceeds of the United States income tax, and the proceeds of any taxes levied by the Congress on the inhabitants of the Virgin Islands, and all quarantine, passport, immigration, and naturalization fees collected in the Virgin Islands shall be covered into the treasury of the Virgin Islands and held in account for the respective municipalities, and shall be expended for the benefit and government of said municipalities in accordance with the annual municipal budgets. The Municipal Council of Saint Croix may make appropriations for the purposes of said municipality from, and to be paid out of, the funds credited to its account in the treasury of the Virgin Islands; and the Municipal Council of Saint Thomas and Saint John may make appropriations for the purposes of said municipality from, and to be paid out of, the funds credited to its account in said treasury.
(June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §35, 49 Stat. 1816.)
Taxes and assessments on property and incomes, internal-revenue taxes, license fees, and service fees may be imposed and collected, and royalties for franchises, privileges, and concessions granted may be collected for the purposes of the Government of the Virgin Islands as may be provided and defined by the municipal councils herein established: Provided, That all money hereafter derived from any tax levied or assessed for a special purpose shall be treated as a special fund in the treasury of the Virgin Islands and paid out for such purpose only, except when otherwise authorized by the legislative authority having jurisdiction after the purpose for which such fund was created has been accomplished. Until Congress shall otherwise provide, all laws concerning import duties and customs in the municipality of Saint Thomas and Saint John now in effect shall be in force and effect in and for the Virgin Islands: Provided, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall designate the several ports and sub-ports of entry in the Virgin Islands of the United States and shall make such rules and regulations and appoint such officers and employees as he may deem necessary for the administration of the customs laws in the Virgin Islands of the United States; and he shall fix the compensation of all such officers and employees and provide for the payment of such compensations and other expenses of the collection of duties, fees, and taxes imposed under the customs laws from the receipts thereof. The export duties in effect on June 22, 1936 may be from time to time reduced, repealed, or restored by ordinance of the municipal council having jurisdiction: Provided further, That no new export duties shall be levied in the Virgin Islands except by the Congress.
(June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §36, 49 Stat. 1816.)
Section, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §38, 49 Stat. 1817, provided for citizenship of officials and for oath of office.
Section, act June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §39, 49 Stat. 1817, related to jurisdiction of Secretary of the Interior and Attorney General.
This subchapter shall take effect June 22, 1936, but until its provisions shall severally become operative as herein provided, the corresponding legislative, executive, and judicial functions of the existing government shall continue to be exercised as now provided by law or ordinance, and the present incumbents of all offices under the Government of the Virgin Islands shall continue in office until their successors are appointed and have qualified unless sooner removed by competent authority.
(June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §40, 49 Stat. 1817.)
This subchapter may be cited as the Organic Act of the Virgin Islands of the United States.
(June 22, 1936, ch. 699, §41, 49 Stat. 1817.)