[{"_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",6196793,"mediaKeyId","3857096-4f4c835a26e120326699ca5df016ecda","parentId",3857096,"title","Puerto Rico budget debate centers on oversight board, federal funding and municipal cuts","audioSeconds",7724,"startMs",7443000,"endMs",15167000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3857096-4f4c835a26e120326699ca5df016ecda&start=7443&end=15167","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3857096-4f4c835a26e120326699ca5df016ecda/thumbnail_7443000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6196793/Puerto-Rico-budget-debate-centers-on-oversight-board-federal-funding-and-municipal-cuts","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196793-f53f942d9476fa8a97444ae869789b23/orig.mp4?Expires=1770542210&Signature=IjoY95ah1bbv4M9ylh7lsh0wA6gMZaXFyGFq9tPW14OoMWeT4xsrFuMjynYjL37NT10XdcZEepvzsFdMRO9kzpT7dA~ykb-YjlSmVhGejwMAmyfWnf0LnJ07zbnSinBdD01HYDAawwuNJ-GlDgp4YKMU7s~-DI3v5iikaAQoucGhhj2YPuArM9f6hYhEKakuFwrsOdfJQUR~ybCRk8QDgR9y5KzoQ7y26ltdE36MULcSU0Zo8yeMoOLAl48bx-Lw6-nlzcauAu5umB~s2c2j-HXmWzya34mwpjnKUFeS7ul3opj0Fc4TlAhE27BnvE9Y9cU0c6YqL9KmQO3pMZKRtw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Puerto Rico Legislature","date","2025-06-18T05:01:13.26Z","article","The House of Representatives spent a large portion of its June 17, 2025, session debating the text and implications of Resolution Conjunta de la Cámara 136, the proposed general budget for fiscal year 2026, but left the measure on the table for later consideration.

Eddie Charboniel Chinea, president of the House Commission on Hacienda, opened the debate and framed the measure as a negotiated, certified budget prepared in ongoing communication with the Financial Oversight and Management Board (Junta de Supervisión Fiscal). \"This resolution ... is the first budget in recent history that from day one has been worked on in constant communication with the junta,\" Chinea said, adding that the goal is to approve “four consecutive balanced budgets certified by the oversight board.”

Why this matters: the debate highlighted two pressures on Puerto Rico’s public finances — heavy reliance on federal funds (noted repeatedly during the presentations) and the continuing legal and fiscal constraints posed by PROMESA and the oversight board. Representatives warned that cuts to federal programs or unclear replacements for previously federal-funded services could force program reductions or transfers of cost to municipalities.

Most important facts

- Format and status: The Commission presented a detailed 53-page report summarizing 15 public hearings and agency submissions; the body debated that report on the floor but the House left the overall budget discussion \"on the table\" during the afternoon recess, with legislators preserving remaining speaking time for later sessions.

- Oversight and negotiation: Chinea described sustained, direct engagement with the oversight board and with the executive branch to produce a certified, balanced budget consistent with the board’s requirements. He said the approach aimed to avoid an imposed budget and to preserve the possibility of removing the oversight board only through sustained, certified compliance: \"If we want to remove the junta, we must approve balanced budgets,\" he said.

- Scale and breakdown: The commission described the general-fund allocations presented in the resolution as roughly $13.095 billion for the operating budget (expressed in the commission presentation as \"13,095,315,000 dollars\") and referenced a consolidated government total near $32.6 billion including special and federal funds. The commission said federal sources accounted for about $14 billion of the consolidated total.

- Top allocations and initiatives highlighted by the commission included: Education (largest single department), Health (noted shortfalls and program continuity concerns), Security and Police, the University of Puerto Rico (an operational allocation discussed at length), and municipal financing (including the “fondo de financiamiento extraordinario” and other municipal transfer lines).

What lawmakers said and pressed

- Minority and opposition delegates pressed the majority for more time to review late enmiendas (amendments) that arrived the same morning and for firmer guarantees that promised municipal and university funding would survive oversight-board review. Representative Gretchenhaw (popular delegation) said she had not had adequate time to examine the post-hearing enmiendas and asked how municipalities would know the commitments were firm.

- Multiple legislators warned that the budget’s reliance on federal funds puts programs at risk if federal allocations decline. Nelly Lebrón (independentista) and others noted the possibility of future cuts and criticized the oversight board’s role in shaping allocations.

- Supporters emphasized the practical need to present a certified budget to the oversight board to avoid an imposed budget and to preserve continuity of services. Several majority speakers framed approval of a certified, balanced budget as a tactical step toward ultimately removing the oversight board.

Decisions, directions and next steps

- Discussion only: The transcript shows floor debate, negotiated rules for debate and an extended presentation by the commission, but the House explicitly left the budget debate on the table during the afternoon recess. The clerk recorded remaining speaking time for each delegation in case debate resumes: New Progressive Party had 32 minutes remaining, Popular Democratic Party 9 minutes (after some consumption), Independentista 3 minutes, and Proyecto Dignidad 15 minutes.

- Scheduling/directions: Members agreed to continue the budget process and to reconvene debate in a subsequent sitting; the Commission signaled ongoing oversight activity including periodic agency reviews after approval.

Context and background

- Legal constraints: Speakers repeatedly referenced the fiscal oversight framework created under PROMESA and the oversight board’s certification role. Representatives noted that certain revenue and reserve conditions are conditioned on the board’s approval or future federal funding behavior. Chinea and others stated parts of the budget release are conditioned on the board’s clearance and noted the budget document includes provisions that the board must approve some reprogramming or target-delivery conditions.

- Implementation risk: Many speakers flagged medium-to-high implementation risk. The commission identified contingencies tied to federal funding flows and to the oversight board’s acceptance of certain targets.

Ending

The budget debate produced a long, fact-heavy exchange about fiscal strategy and the limits of local control under current oversight. The House did not adopt Resolution Conjunta de la Cámara 136 during the June 17 sitting; members left debate active and reserved time so that parties could return with further questions and voting later. The commission signaled it will continue oversight of agency execution and return to the Legislature to track spending and potential reprogramming.

Quotes

\"This resolution ... is the first budget in recent history that from day one has been worked on in constant communication with the junta,\" — Eddie Charboniel Chinea, president, Commission on Hacienda, House of Representatives (floor presentation, 2025-06-17).

\"If we want to remove the junta, we must approve balanced budgets,\" — Eddie Charboniel Chinea (floor presentation, 2025-06-17).

\"We received the enmiendas this morning; I cannot responsibly celebrate allocations before we review them,\" — Greggenhau (Popular-Democratic delegation floor remarks, 2025-06-17).

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hemiciclo","oneSentenceSummary","The House of Representatives spent a large portion of its June 17, 2025, session debating the proposed FY2026 budget (Resolution Conjunta de la Cámara 136) and its fiscal tradeoffs — especially the role of the Financial Oversight and Management Board (Junta de Supervisión Fiscal), dependence on federal funding, and municipal allocations — but left the measure \"on the table\" for later consideration.","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},6196783,"Lawmakers press to free inmates found not criminally responsible; House advances bill to alter criminal procedure timeline",11757,3557000,15314000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3857096-4f4c835a26e120326699ca5df016ecda&start=3557&end=15314","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3857096-4f4c835a26e120326699ca5df016ecda/thumbnail_3557000.jpg","/articles/6196783/Lawmakers-press-to-free-inmates-found-not-criminally-responsible-House-advances-bill-to-alter-criminal-procedure-timeline","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196783-55dd4212c7edf6ddc147c420a62c68e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770542210&Signature=VbcxKwTIA0ojxnRQdx4Q1QiiIbvc41lS10yDCoHh2CN0osYP9E0DZ0pfht5080zPDO86ulvFkW6qAazHVG~22W-f~TLrwW3eKB0r3lZdIzAiB8cXeeitkgNyg--H1k3k4dPTsHreHEArxOK4U1SJxiqUlIygAjzSxxFOrBUJETwX-4gE4sJLFiK-IX7IWMk9hAeesxbcAPOuusJS0Fp03QU8tq4IoFVF8NEEGoz-BO1i1S5LHzyjcmYcsNujiBDCXGpHyeb1ycsRb2qRjk8neY5NmvnO6oXbRtagyJZgyohGNXLt9AAzMjagmmLO63XusCIwPPufbrH8VQ3GG4QNGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Denis Márquez LeBrón took a floor turn to press legislators to advance a measure addressing incarcerated persons with severe mental illness who have not been found criminally responsible and who remain confined beyond statutory timelines.

Why this matters: Speakers described people with mental illness confined in correctional facilities for extended periods without adjudication or adequate mental-health treatment and urged legal changes to prevent prolonged detention. The House recorded a vote approving the identified measure later in the session.

Key facts

- Substance of the proposal: The bill discussed (Senate Project 655) proposes amendments to criminal procedure (referred to on the floor as an amendment to Rule 240 of criminal procedure) to require a faster release or reconsideration for persons found nonprocessable or otherwise not competent to proceed after set periods of confinement.

- Floor debate: Denis Márquez described a group of people with severe mental conditions who, after arrest and criminal processing, were determined not to understand the proceedings or to be not criminally responsible; he argued many remain in prison beyond the six-month habeas corpus interval and lack access to correct medical or judicial procedures.

- Action taken: The House considered reconsideration of Proyecto del Senado 655 and the floor record shows the measure was carried to floor consideration by affirmative requests from several representatives. Final roll-call results recorded for the calendar include Proyecto de la Cámara 655 (separate entry) with a recorded tally of 49 yes and 3 no; the log indicates project 655 in the final vote block obtained approval (49–3). The transcript marks the Senate-originated bill as “approved” later in the session.

Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion: Floor remarks documented the claim that some defendants with mental health conditions are detained for extended periods in correctional facilities without process or treatment; speakers urged the measure as an act of social justice.

- Decision: The transcript’s roll-call summary lists project 655 with a recorded vote of 49 yes and 3 no; the measure was approved per the formal roll call recorded later in the afternoon.

Quotes

\"En Puerto Rico existen un grupo de pacientes con enfermedades mentales ... que ... en vez de intervenir con ellos un equipo de profesionales de la salud en múltiples ocasiones interviene la policía ... y ... existen hoy en día personas no procesables ... que están en las cárceles de Puerto Rico,\" — Representative Denis Márquez LeBrón (floor remarks, 2025-06-17).

Ending

The House recorded approval of the measure tied to expedited review/release for certain nonprocessable defendants; implementing changes will require the courts and corrections officials to follow the amended procedural rules and any required administrative coordination.

","Representatives urged action on incarcerated people with severe mental illness who remain in custody beyond statutory timelines. The House reconsidered and later approved a measure tied to expedited release for certain nonprocessable defendants (Senate Project 655).",{"_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},6196788,"House approves smoking and vaping restrictions for schools and recreational areas; lawmakers cite youth vaping concerns",14569,750000,15319000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3857096-4f4c835a26e120326699ca5df016ecda&start=750&end=15319","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3857096-4f4c835a26e120326699ca5df016ecda/thumbnail_750000.jpg","/articles/6196788/House-approves-smoking-and-vaping-restrictions-for-schools-and-recreational-areas-lawmakers-cite-youth-vaping-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196788-a5c23664bc62f8f592e4deafa4acdc3d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770542210&Signature=gbIOo24CGhCdmdkvtCS8nenDinPKFtOE5BYNRRXpjogLp-R0X13dQCIJK~yuBqGE5o2YtKggqL~SJVXxroDEH0mnOkHpjwmOKCtftXl4ayWjiZOZolY0iaiiyijEp~xL3X3rkhmm3QMQBNzDAuUubQEIBZl3rpKDen8FutdLjwl0d78a68HqzkQXc-fGkEcMSpUGXkKoQiPpc-2KZqgiLSMjewZAoe1OW86cMWjkPd~G1QDhQ61nQCUGuyEQnFDe243udr-Wdkioo0Ksj6fMjIT25NNGeOw6MJkpUdrPNn85UYBIjNJc2BNLMO-8gJaxA6EluTCPiQx0RhLQCFlo2g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lawmakers considered multiple bills that amend existing tobacco-control law and school policies, and later voted to approve the measures listed on the final calendar.

Why this matters: Representatives framed the measures as public-health steps to protect children from secondhand smoke and to curb rising electronic-cigarette (vape) use among youth. The floor record shows presentation, debate and subsequent recorded passage for bills tied to school smoking prohibitions and expanded smoke-free zones.

Most important facts

- Measures and votes: The House debated and later recorded votes approving (among others) Proyecto de la Cámara 60 (school reporting and notification; vote 52–0), Proyecto de la Cámara 175 and Proyecto de la Cámara 201 (amendments to Ley Núm. 40 de 1993 to expand no-smoking areas). Final recorded tallies in the session roll call show project 60 passed 52–0; project 175 passed 52–0; project 201 passed 52–0.

- Floor discussion and public concerns: Representative Vargas Laureano spoke in favor of amendments to prohibit smoking in recreational areas and schools, stressing health risks of secondhand smoke and the toxic components of cigarette smoke. In a separate initial-turn public remark, Representative Lizzy Burgos highlighted an increase in vaping among minors and called for urgency by the Health Committee and the House to address youth access to electronic cigarettes.

- Scope of changes: The bills modify provisions of the Ley de Reglamentar Práctica de Fumar en Lugares Públicos (Ley Núm. 40 de 1993) and related education statutes referenced during calendar reading; they aim to remove exemptions that previously permitted smoking in some areas of school grounds or associated recreational facilities and to add notification/ reporting duties for school employees and contractors.

Discussion vs. decision

- Discussion: Multiple representatives discussed public-health rationales and personal anecdotes about disease risks and family impacts; public statements about vaping were made during initial turns and public comment.

- Decisions: The House recorded approval of the listed measures during the electronic voting sequence later in the afternoon (project 60: 52–0; project 175: 52–0; project 201: 52–0). The floor record shows those vote tallies in the official roll call.

Quotes

\"El humo del cigarrillo tiene más de 7,000 químicos ... 70 son posiblemente que te pueden ocasionar cáncer,\" — Representative Vargas Laureano (floor remarks in support of amendments to no-smoking law, 2025-06-17).

\"Tomo este turno inicial ... estoy muy preocupada ante el uso del vapeo por parte de menores,\" — Representative Lizzy Burgos (initial turn commenting on youth vaping trends, 2025-06-17).

Ending

With recorded votes in favor, the measures to expand smoke-free spaces and to tighten school-related notification/reporting obligations cleared the House on June 17. Implementation will depend on signed enactment and agency rulemaking where specified.

","The House considered and approved several bills to expand smoke-free areas and strengthen school reporting rules; members and visitors emphasized rising youth vaping and public-health risks. Measures affecting school smoking and campus notification were among those discussed and later approved by recorded vote.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Puerto Rico budget debate centers on oversight board, federal funding and municipal cuts

Lawmakers press to free inmates found not criminally responsible; House advances bill to alter criminal procedure timeline

House approves smoking and vaping restrictions for schools and recreational areas; lawmakers cite youth vaping concerns