House commission reviews bill to create 'purple points' network for survivors of gender-based violence

The Commission on Women's Affairs of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives held a public hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, on House Bill 677, a measure that would create a Puerto Rico "red de puntos violetas" (network of purple points) — physically identified, safe and accessible locations in public and private entities that offer initial information, confidential orientation and referral to specialized services for survivors of gender-based violence. Representative Odalis González González sponsored the bill and opened discussion at about 9:17 a.m. in chamber room 16.

Supporters and agency witnesses said the bill responds to persistent rates of domestic and gender-based violence and aims to expand first-line access to resources. Nelson Vélez, attorney representing the Office of the Procuradora de las Mujeres (OPM), summarized the OPM analysis and told the commission the office supports the concept but cannot implement the network in its current form without explicit budget allocations. The OPM’s written estimate presented at the hearing placed the first-year implementation cost at about $650,000 and projected annual recurring costs of about $870,000 thereafter to cover personnel, training, a secure digital platform, outreach campaigns and ongoing recertification and inspections.

Why it matters: witnesses emphasized that the points are intended as first-contact locations, not substitutes for specialized services. Testimony focused on three recurring implementation gaps: how to fund the network, what level of training and certification is required for the staff who will serve as first responders, and how the proposed oversight and monitoring would prevent inconsistent practices or revictimization.

Office of Administration and Transformation of Human Resources (OATRH) testimony

Marcos Andrade…