19th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico explained

19th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico
Body:Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico
Election:8 November 2020
Government:Pierluisi government
Before:18th
After:20th
Chamber1:27th Senate
Membership1:27
Chamber1 Leader1 Type:President
Chamber1 Leader1:José Luis Dalmau
Chamber1 Leader2 Type:President pro tem
Chamber1 Leader2:Marially González Huertas
Chamber1 Leader3 Type:Majority Leader
Chamber1 Leader3:Javier Aponte Dalmau
Chamber1 Leader4 Type:Majority Whip
Chamber1 Leader5 Type:Minority Leaders
Chamber1 Leader5:Thomas Rivera Schatz (PNP), Ana Irma Rivera Lassén (MVC), M.ª de Lourdes Santiago Negrón (PIP), Joanne Rodríguez Veve (PD), José "Chaco" Vargas Vidot (Ind.)
Chamber1 Leader6 Type:Minority Whips
Chamber1 Leader6:Carmelo Ríos Santiago (PNP),Rafael Bernabe Riefkohl (MVC)
Chamber2:29th House of Representatives
Membership2:51
Chamber2 Leader1 Type:Speaker
Chamber2 Leader1:Tatito Hernández Montañez
Chamber2 Leader2 Type:Speaker pro tem
Chamber2 Leader2:Conny Varela
Chamber2 Leader3 Type:Majority Leader
Chamber2 Leader3:Angel Matos García
Chamber2 Leader4 Type:Majority Whip
Chamber2 Leader4:Roberto Rivera Ruiz de Porras
Chamber2 Leader5 Type:Minority Leaders
Chamber2 Leader5:Carlos Johnny Méndez (PNP), Mariana Nogales Molinelli (MVC), Denis Márquez Lebrón (PIP), Lisie Burgos Muñiz (PD)
Chamber2 Leader6 Type:Minority Whips
Chamber2 Leader6:Gabriel Rodríguez Aguiló (PNP), José Bernardo Márquez Reyes (MVC)
Session1 Start:January 11, 2021[1]
Session1 End:June 30, 2021
Session2 Start:August 16, 2021
Session2 End:November 16, 2021
Session3 Start:January 10, 2022
Session3 End:June 30, 2022
Session4 Start:August 15, 2022
Session4 End:November 15, 2022
Session5 Start:January 9, 2023
Session5 End:June 30, 2023
Session6 Start:August 21, 2023
Session6 End:November 14, 2023
Session7 Start:January 8, 2024
Session7 End:June 30, 2024
Session8 Start:August 19, 2024*
Session8 End:November 19, 2024*

The 19th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico will meet from January 2, 2021, to January 1, 2025. Members of the 31st House of Representatives of Puerto Rico were elected in the 2020 House of Representatives election, while members of the 27th Senate of Puerto Rico were elected the same day in the Senate election. The Popular Democratic Party (PPD in Spanish) does not have an outright majority in the Senate, but controls the chamber. While the PPD had a simple majority of representatives in the 31st House of Representatives from 2021 to 2022, this has ceased to be the case since 4 May 2022.

Major legislation

The following is a non-extensive list of legislation with far-reaching impact in Puerto Rican society approved by the 19th Legislative Assembly. For an extensive list of all legislation approved in this legislature see List of acts of the 19th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico.

Enacted

Proposed

Leadership

Senate

OfficeSenator[7] PartyDistrict
Presidentnowrap José Luis Dalmau SantiagoPPDDistrict VII
Vice Presidentnowrap Marially González HuertasPPDDistrict V
Majority Leadernowrap PPDDistrict VIII
Minority Leadersnowrap Thomas Rivera SchatzPNPAt-large
nowrap María de Lourdes Santiago NegrónPIPAt-large
nowrap Ana Irma Rivera LassénMVCAt-large
nowrap Joanne Rodríguez VevePDAt-large

House of Representatives

OfficeRepresentativePartyDistrict
Speaker of the Housenowrap Tatito Hernández MontañezPPDDistrict 11
Speaker Pro Temnowrap Conny VarelaPPDDistrict 32
Majority Leadernowrap Angel Matos GarcíaPPDDistrict 40
Minority Leadersnowrap Johnny MéndezPNPDistrict 36
nowrap Mariana Nogales MolinelliMVCAt-large
nowrap Denis Márquez LebrónPIPAt-large
nowrap Lisie Burgos MuñizPDAt-large

Party summary

Resignations and new members are discussed in the "Changes in membership" section below.

Senate

Begin (from January 2, 2021)
AffiliationParty

(shading indicates control of presidency and leadership of the chamber)

TotalVacant
Popular DemocraticCitizen VictoryIndependenceIndependentProject DignityNew Progressive
End of previous Legislature7011021300
Begin (2 January 2021)12211110270
30 June 20229261
11 September 202210270
Latest voting share 

House of Representatives

Current (from 4 May 2022)File: 31ª Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico (inicio de cuatrienio).svg(21 March 2021 - 4 May 2022)File: 31ra Camara de Representantes de Puerto Rico (entre enero y marzo 2021).svg(11 January 2021 - 21 March 2021)File: 31ª Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico (inicio de cuatrienio).svgBegin 2 January 2021 – 11 January 2021
AffiliationParty

(shading indicates control of presidency and leadership of the chamber)

TotalVacant
Popular DemocraticCitizen VictoryIndependenceIndependentProject DignityNew Progressive
End of previous Legislature16110034510
Begin (2 January 2022)26210121510
11 January 202120501
21 March 202121510
4 May 2022251
11 September 2022 20501
6 December 21510
Latest voting share 

Changes in membership

House of Representatives

District
Vacated byReason for changeSuccessorDate of successor's
installation
2nowrap Luis Raúl TorresChanged party, 4 May 2022[10] nowrap Luis Raúl Torres4 May 2022
3nowrap Juan Oscar Morales RodríguezBecame senator, vacating House seat,[11]
Vacancy filled in special election in December.[12]
nowrap José «Cheíto» Hernández Concepción.[13] 6 December 2022
At-largenowrap Néstor A. Alonso VegaResigned upon being charged on 11 January 2021.[14]
A special election was held on 21 March 2021.[15]
nowrap José «Che» Pérez Cordero.[16] 21 March 2021

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ley para Fijar la Duración de las Sesiones Ordinarias y los Plazos para la Radicación y la Consideración de Proyectos, Resoluciones Conjuntas y Resoluciones Concurrentes. Spanish. 2 March 1997. 4 May 2022.
  2. Web site: Ley Especial de Salario Base para el Magisterio del Sistema de Educacion Publico. Sistema Único de Trámite Legislativo . Oficina de Servicios Legislativos . 10 May 2022 . Spanish.
  3. Web site: Puerto Rico Minimum Wage Act. Sistema Único de Trámite Legislativo . Oficina de Servicios Legislativos . 10 May 2022 . English.
  4. Web site: Dignified Retirement Act Act. Sistema Único de Trámite Legislativo . Oficina de Servicios Legislativos . 10 May 2022 . English.
  5. Web site: PS0693 . Sistema Único de Trámite Legislativo . Oficina de Servicios Legislativos . 10 May 2022 . Spanish.
  6. Web site: PC1037 . Sistema Único de Trámite Legislativo . Oficina de Servicios Legislativos . 3 November 2022 . Spanish.
  7. Web site: Senators of the 19th Legislative Assembly . Senado de Puerto Rico . Puerto Rico Senate . 8 May 2022 . Spanish.
  8. News: El senador Henry Neumann renuncia a su puesto . 12 September 2022 . El Nuevo Día . 21 June 2022 . es.
  9. Web site: CEE Event: Special Election for District I senator . senadordistrito1.ceepur.org . 12 September 2022.
  10. News: Rico . Sofía . Representante Luis Raúl Torres se desafilia del PPD . 5 May 2022 . Noticel . 4 May 2022.
  11. Web site: Juan Oscar Morales es el ganador de la elección especial por silla en el Senado . Metro Puerto Rico . 20 January 2023 . es.
  12. Web site: CEE Event . representantedistrito3.ceepur.org.
  13. Web site: Certificación para el cargo de representante . www.ceepur.org . Comisión Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico . 19 January 2023 . es-pr . 6 December 2022.
  14. News: Néstor Alonso renuncia a su escaño en la Cámara de Representantes . . 11 January 2021 . 8 May 2022 .
  15. Web site: Special Election to cover the vacancy of the At-Large Representative . State Election Commission . State Election Commission.
  16. News: Lista la CEE para la elección especial del PNP . . 22 February 2021 . 8 May 2022 .