[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6612171,"mediaKeyId","2891990-6d062bf23a40adebf9aeb665afec6566","parentId",2891990,"title","House confirms Verónica Ferrayoli as secretary of state; names new leaders for State Elections Commission","audioSeconds",4677,"startMs",16563000,"endMs",21240000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891990-6d062bf23a40adebf9aeb665afec6566&start=16563&end=21240","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891990-6d062bf23a40adebf9aeb665afec6566/thumbnail_16563000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6612171/House-confirms-Verónica-Ferrayoli-as-secretary-of-state-names-new-leaders-for-State-Elections-Commission","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6612171-7f5dd442d16a025516f724751ae1058c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169278&Signature=PYx3hg66krKq~0Jv~sP---bCsimPjbcusAMrhZTeTHmb2I~dIsK4kbLs4QyIpV4Zfqn45gHVbv6wWxm1lklFjIW7VHqaAoV7I39QgJF4v~s078C27fWMkrr5ZMZwnAhVEML5UHqqi4mpHLTEOiOeFs1HZc1RZWe8r1yHBNnMK6Kr42meDyXCgTqhlfLT206eU9n~BDhSRD5uVxmyyUHVJzmVz33C2bdR0IHEkovUTQD5siPN5Bmqy3no5HIsrxcx~mFzD-sb2u~9-UL9wS7o2e13tnKgTwVtkP9iSigrDY9z4PjL10MZFeb9ip1s9dflwjF95oxBa0oWxJh9ypMOlg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Camara de Representantes PR","date","2025-04-07T23:14:32.117Z","article","The Puerto Rico House of Representatives confirmed Verónica Ferrayoli Ornedo as secretary of state and approved Jorge Rafael Rivera Rueda and Cynthia (Cynthia/Cindian spelled variably in the record) Irizarri Casiano as president and alternate president of the State Elections Commission on April 7, 2025.

House members voted on all three nominations in a roll-call process. The secretary of state nomination passed with 36 votes in favor and 14 opposed. The nominations of Rivera Rueda and Irizarri Casiano passed with 37 votes in favor and 13 opposed. After the votes the chamber notified the governor that it had given its advice and consent.

The confirmations followed review in the House Government Committee and multiple public hearings held that day. Parés Otero, president of the House Government Committee, told the chamber the committee reviewed the nominees’ files and held public sessions in which the nominees answered questions: “la licenciada Verónica Ferraioni Ornedo tuvo una excelente vista pública, donde tuvo una total apertura a las preguntas,” he said during his presentation, summarizing the committee’s recommendation.

Opponents, led by Representative Denis Márquez, focused on what they described as unresolved administrative and ethical concerns in Ferrayoli’s file. Márquez cited the nominee’s acknowledgment in the hearing that she had failed to file Puerto Rico income tax returns for two consecutive years and raised a separate ethics matter involving a request for inhibition linked to a spouse or family associate. As Márquez put it during floor remarks, the nominee “reconoció la violación a la ley, reconoció que no había radicado durante dos años consecutivos planillas de contribución sobre ingreso en Puerto Rico.” He said the combination of the tax filing issue and pending inhibition requests raised governance and conflict-of-interest questions that merited a negative vote from his delegation.

Supporters said the committee had access to the full file and that Ferrayoli had answered questions in both an executive review and a public hearing. Representative Ramos Rivera, speaking in favor, framed support in gender and professional terms: “Hoy como mujer me siento sumamente orgullosa de la nominación de la licenciada Ferrayoli,” she said, and noted Ferrayoli’s work on the administration’s platform and on proposed modernizations at the Department of State.

Several members raised procedural concerns during the debate: some minority representatives said they had insufficient time to examine the nominee’s full file in advance and requested private meetings to discuss allegations they had received. Representative Hernández Concepción said minority members had access to the file in a morning executive review but that private follow-up with committee leadership would have been appropriate for any FBI or ethics-related allegations mentioned in the public record.

The chamber also debated objections about potential operational friction between the Department of State and the Office of the Governor because the record shows a request for inhibition (to avoid conflicts) involving persons whose roles intersect with both offices. Speakers noted that any inhibition letters issued by the Office of Government Ethics had not been made fully public in the chamber record at the time of the vote.

After the roll-call confirmation, the House asked the governor to be notified of its advice and consent. The three confirmed nominees were brought to the floor for recognition following the vote.

Votes at a glance: Secretary of State — confirmed 36–14. Jorge Rafael Rivera Rueda, president of the State Elections Commission — confirmed 37–13. Cynthia Irizarri Casiano, alternate president, State Elections Commission — confirmed 37–13.

The nominations now proceed to the next step of formal notification to the governor and, as appropriate, installation in their respective offices.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hemiciclo","oneSentenceSummary","The Puerto Rico House of Representatives confirmed Verónica Ferrayoli Ornedo as secretary of state and approved Jorge Rafael Rivera Rueda and Cynthia Irizarri Casiano to lead the State Elections Commission in votes on April 7, 2025.","taxTitle","House of Representatives, House, Committees, Legislative, Puerto Rico","taxId",77854,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6612161,"Representative LeBrón Robles urges swift action on femicide bill, cites six deaths this year",290,870000,1160000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891990-6d062bf23a40adebf9aeb665afec6566&start=870&end=1160","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891990-6d062bf23a40adebf9aeb665afec6566/thumbnail_870000.jpg","/articles/6612161/Representative-LeBrón-Robles-urges-swift-action-on-femicide-bill-cites-six-deaths-this-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6612161-578bf6fc0df36a3ca91874c2c2efd3db/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169278&Signature=bu5zXsZ3Xnh7T13~NKgGODTJI4teNKmpYIh2oVcVFNsemduxUCZl0aBDiXdU9MQSm~0MPIwYWIWbkfBD12fmDJpETWloKS5kmX1EYL9LX0RPIflWgRxUvZKMhHW-avD3rLJ5F4phGGcQVm-aAjW7N4DRzJbxY-z65Y~zZsmg6g1M1p6ryglAvwSMdNu0uZOk559goLmcSAia0awIaDgy8C0SHCBfn0mu3G~RohawU5VW2LlkUatS-m791xbw4-wXwf8i7LlujlY4R~YOSDd60lCRMkvT4mv1LG7xDJS5N2kobp5YQFpb1fBoeLRW3XaksYuyur~Fe-X8QdhSiQQikg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative LeBrón Robles used her initial five-minute turn on April 7 to press the House to act on what she described as an urgent public-safety and gender-violence crisis and to advance a bill she said the Puerto Rican Independence Party submitted earlier in January.

LeBrón Robles listed six deaths she characterized as femicides that occurred in 2025 and described patterns in those cases: intimate-partner violence, use of firearms and, in several instances, perpetrators who subsequently died by suicide. She recited particulars from the record, including dates and locations, and emphasized the impact on children left behind. She said the group submitted House Bill 199 “para crear la ley de protección y reparación en favor de los hijos e hijas de las víctimas de feminicidio.” LeBrón Robles said the bill “a la fecha de hoy, el mismo no ha sido atendido por ninguna de las comisiones,” and she asked colleagues and the chamber’s women’s caucus to prioritize the measure.

In the public remarks she asked Licenciada Astrid Piñero Vázquez to take up the matter and exhorted the full chamber to “unirse a este reclamo urgente de justicia para todas las mujeres.” The representative framed the proposal as a policy to guarantee attention, protection and comprehensive reparations to children of femicide victims; she said the bill’s text remained pending committee consideration.

The exchange occurred during the initial-turn portion of the session; no committee action on House Bill 199 was recorded during the April 7 proceedings. The representative’s statement incorporated statistics from the Observatory for Gender Equality cited in her remarks and named specific cases to illustrate the pattern she described.

No formal motion or vote on House Bill 199 occurred in the session transcript; the bill is, according to the floor remarks, introduced but not yet scheduled for committee consideration.","During initial remarks, Representative LeBrón Robles recounted recent femicides and urged the House and the women’s caucus to expedite House Bill 199, a proposal to declare policy and provide protection and reparations for children of femicide victims; she said the bill had not yet been taken up by any committee",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6612166,"House approves package of bills on safety standards, digital records, tax and municipal measures",23584,1758000,25342000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891990-6d062bf23a40adebf9aeb665afec6566&start=1758&end=25342","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891990-6d062bf23a40adebf9aeb665afec6566/thumbnail_1758000.jpg","/articles/6612166/House-approves-package-of-bills-on-safety-standards-digital-records-tax-and-municipal-measures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6612166-356c7cd99a18c3852b85fe9f32414fa7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771169278&Signature=AsW1NNqJV2X5mS9ipeToIBspMm0wM5dP5qg0kCTPJH6Fw4V7TupOkcp9~5XLmlnWF2HY1u~1oFS6kjjrweqReptBWQJTmHhKmlY7Lhd3orqO7Fu75F0VqQ7Ls0rIm~YCjo10NL34TyAkN3kYc1TmPMgBbWM-xXuOz4dDFHy9Qm83dTjlmIbQn2puKv6VtetAL2LDTnY0oqt6rfu-~JykheK8DwiqDFC5vyEEvyhgxq~FpWydMRT9BgEy3PI64YjsUjYOuYqwFGlMWn4H7vqygUPlGUlTClOxwrip5OURz2ug1PljlliAJk4iCmpdVeaqoliVs7V03O~xkWYTLA1zJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Puerto Rico House of Representatives approved a multi-item legislative package on April 7, 2025, passing measures that ranged from consumer safety standards to tax and municipal-administration reforms.

Key measures approved included:

- House Bill 19 — Establishes safety and quality standards for tires sold and used in Puerto Rico and directs the Department of Transportation and Public Works, in consultation with the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, to promulgate implementing regulations. Final vote: 48–0.

- House Bill 21 — Creates an electronic portal to track forensic evidence in cases of sexual assault (described in the calendar as a portal for victims to obtain information about the status of forensic evidence kits). Final vote: 48–0.

- House Bill 270 — Amends lactation-related provisions and adds new sections to an existing law regulating lactation periods. Final vote: 48–0.

- House Bill 387 — Establishes a unified digital record for people with functional diversity and charges Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Services with creation and maintenance of the centralized file. Final vote: 48–0.

- House Bill 418 — Amends patient rights and related statutes (details in the calendar); final vote: 48–0.

- House Bill 420 — Amends municipal code provisions to set inventory valuation and tax rules for fiscal 2024–2028 and gives the municipal revenue center authority to request certain information from the Department of Treasury; final vote: 47–1.

- House Bill 498 — Aligns state certification with federal 501(c)(3) status for nonprofit tax exemptions and seeks to simplify duplicative state certification requirements; final vote: 48–0.

- House Bill 500 — Adds a municipal contribution exemption for prescription medicines to the municipal code (summary on calendar); final vote: 48–0.

- House Bill 504 — Introduces digital tools and updates to sections of the Internal Revenue Code related to filer information and agency data-sharing; final vote: 45–3.

- House Bill 506 — Establishes a framework for municipalities to voluntarily integrate into Puerto Rico’s SURI unified tax system and consolidate filing/payment dates; final vote: 48–0.

The House also received and approved four Senate-origin bills transmitted for concurrence: Senate Bill 1 (religious freedom amendments), Senate Bill 4 (integration of values/ethics into curriculum), Senate Bill 350 (protections for minors), and Senate Bill 386 (tax credit amendment for a cultural foundation). Recorded final results for those measures: Senate Bill 1 — 48–0; Senate Bill 4 — 44–4; Senate Bill 350 — 38–10; Senate Bill 386 — 45–3.

Most measures were introduced on the chamber calendar, underwent amendment votes where noted, and were passed by voice or roll-call votes during the session. A final voting sequence produced the tallies above; the House clerk announced that all measures on the final calendar were approved and instructed notification as required.

Because many calendar items were handled in a single final vote sequence, the chamber recorded a consolidated final roll call and asked the secretary to notify relevant agencies and the Senate when appropriate.","The Puerto Rico House voted April 7 to approve a group of bills on tire standards, victim evidence portals, lactation law amendments, a unified digital record for people with disabilities, municipal inventory tax rules and several tax-administration reforms; most measures passed by wide margins","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House confirms Verónica Ferrayoli as secretary of state; names new leaders for State Elections Commission

Representative LeBrón Robles urges swift action on femicide bill, cites six deaths this year

House approves package of bills on safety standards, digital records, tax and municipal measures