House presents achievements for first 100 days in office

By The Star Staff

The vice speakers of the island House of Representatives, Yashira Lebrón Rodríguez and Ángel Peña Ramírez, presented on Sunday the achievements of the legislative body for the first 100 days in office.

Since Jan. 2, a total of 859 measures have been submitted, including 494 bills, 249 resolutions, 99 joint resolutions and 17 concurrent resolutions.

Among those measures, the New Progressive Party (NPP) delegation introduced an unprecedented 49 pieces of legislation specifically aimed at addressing domestic violence and empowering women in areas such as health and economic development. Additionally, 167 measures were proposed to stimulate economic growth and job creation -- numbers not seen since 1997.

“The commitment of this House of Representatives, presided over by our friend Carlos ‘Johnny’ Méndez, is to address the problems of our people in an agile, transparent and efficient manner, ensuring that what we approve here has an immediate impact on the lives of our citizens,” Peña emphasized. “So far this session, we have approved tangible legislation that directly affects our people.”

Lebrón added that economic development “is fundamental.”

“Of the total number of measures submitted, the NPP delegation has filed 167 that are directly associated with the economic development of the island,” she said. “For instance, we approved House Bill 420, which freezes the property tax on inventory at a rate of 9%. This tax heavily burdens small and medium-sized businesses in Puerto Rico, as well as consumers. The effects of such taxation can be felt in all aspects of the economy and society.”

Other approved measures include:

* House Bill 38: The “Victoria Law,” which establishes a “Bill of Rights for Bedridden Students, Students in Wheelchairs, or Students Using Assistive Technology.” This measure, proposed through a direct petition mechanism, aims to support students who cannot regularly attend classes due to their circumstances, impacting more than 5,000 students.

* House Bill 168: This bill creates the “Law on the Inventory of Fishing Villages,” aimed at promoting commercial fishing practices.

* House Bill 422: This law requires the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau to develop and implement a renewable energy percentage rate, which must be achieved every five years, with the goal of completely eliminating the use of fossil fuels by 2050.

* House Bill 375: This legislation prohibits competitive races, speed contests, and stunts (such as wheelies and burnouts) on state and municipal highways, enhancing road safety.

* House Bill 42: This law establishes the first registry of lobbyists for all three branches of government in Puerto Rico to promote transparency in public service.

* House Bill 19: The “Tire and Tire Safety Standards Act,” aims to regulate the sale and use of tires in Puerto Rico by setting minimum quality standards. Currently, no law governs the sale of tires, leading to significant public safety risks.

The lower chamber also has approved legislation to promote greater inclusion of young people in the governing bodies of credit unions.

Among the administrative measures swiftly approved and now enacted into law are a law that guarantees a constant generation of power -- some 500 megawatts -- in Puerto Rico for the next seven years, ensuring safe generation to prevent blackouts as the transition to renewable energy continues, and a law that grants the Energy Bureau greater authority to oversee private operators within the electricity system, imposing noncompliance penalties of up to $125,000 per day -- one of the strictest in the nation.

Lebrón highlighted the legislation targeting women’s issues, including “eliminating discrimination in workers’ compensation and providing more tools to combat domestic violence in Puerto Rico.”

Among the proposed legislation aimed at further supporting women are a bill that empowers authorities to prosecute individuals who threaten the physical and/or emotional well-being of their partners, and a measure that creates the “Sexual Violence Forensic Evidence Electronic Portal Act,” allowing victims to access information regarding their cases.