INTRODUCTION


 On February 7, 1984, the Fifteenth Legislature of the Virgin Islands adopted
Resolution No. 1132 "To determine the status of the Virgin Islands, to create within the
Legislature of the Virgin Islands a Select Committee on Status and Federal Relations
and to propose a Compact of Federal Relations between the Virgin Islands and the
United States of America."

 In accordance with the terms of the resolution, the President of the Fifteenth
Legislature appointed the following Senators to serve as members of the Select
Committee: Lorraine L. Berry, Chair; Edgar M. Miles, Vice-Chair; Virdin C. Brown, Bent
Lawaetz, Sidney Lee, Cleone Creque Maynard, Lilliana Belardo de O'Neal, Elmo D.
Roebuck and Lloyd L. Williams.

 Resolution No. 1132 mandates your Select Committee to conduct extensive
public information programs and consultations to enable the people of the Virgin
Islands to express their views regarding political status and federal relations issues; to
invite representatives of various community organizations to submit written statements
outlining their positions on these issues; and to submit within one year after the
appointment of its members a report to the Legislature. The resolution specified that
the report of the Select Committee shall include:

 a) A proposed "Compact of Federal Relations between the United
 States Virgin Islands and the United States of America" which
 shall be comprehensive in nature and cover the entire range of
 the relationship, including application of federal constitutional
 provisions, treaties and laws in the Virgin Islands, jurisdiction
 of federal courts in the Virgin Islands and their relationship to
 the courts of the Virgin Islands, administration of the Virgin
 Islands income tax system, return of the gasoline excise taxes,
 disposition of the Internal Revenue Matching Funds received
 by the Government of the Virgin Islands without prior approval
 of the President of the United States or his designee, extension
 of the three-mile offshore territorial limit under the jurisdiction of
 the Virgin Islands government, participation of the Virgin
 Islands in various federal economic development, health,
 education, welfare, and other social programs, and matters
 relating to customs, immigration, regional cooperation,
 granting by Congress to the Virgin Islands Legislature all
 powers exercised by Congress with respect to the Virgin
 Islands which are normally exercised by legislatures of the
 several states of the United States relative to state, county, and
 municipal matters, representation of the people of the Virgin
 Islands in Congress, and removal of the Interior Department's
 oversight responsibilities with respect to the Virgin Islands;