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House Health Committee circulates four measures for referendum after lacking quorum
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Summary
On June 12, the House of Representatives Health Committee considered four health bills — H.B. 2150 and S.B. 792, 841 and 1205 — but, with only four members present, lacked the quorum for final roll-call votes and submitted the measures to a referendum process under chamber rules.
The House of Representatives Health Committee met June 12, 2024, to give final consideration to four health-related measures but did not take in-room final votes after the panel lacked the quorum required by chamber rules.
The session, opened by the committee president at 12:13 p.m., reviewed the texts circulated for final vote: Senate Project 792, intended to "establecer la política pública del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico para el control comprensivo de diabetes"; Senate Project 841, which would amend provisions of Ley 220 (2012) to require the Administración de Seguros de Salud to provide behavioral-management therapies as part of autism coverage; Senate Project 1205, proposing amendments to multiple statutory sections to impose certain requirements on prescription-drug coverages of insurers and medical plans; and House Project 2150, which "pretende crear la ley para garantizar los servicios de cuidados paliativos y de auspicio para el manejo integral de pacientes con enfermedades amenazantes a la vida." All four texts were the Senate- or House-approved drafts circulated with technical-team amendments from the committee staff.
Committee staff director Edwin Figueroa Medina told the panel that only four representatives were present, "lo que no constituye el quórum mínimo requerido para proceder con la votación, según el reglamento." Because of that, the president invoked the chamber’s rules and submitted the four circulated final-draft measures to a referendum voting process rather than conducting a final roll-call vote in the meeting.
The session included the formal reading into the record of the circulated drafts and the staff’s note that no additional amendments had been received. Members recognized included Ángel Bullerín Ramos and the Hon. Roberto Rivera Ruiz de Porras (participating by Zoom); Luis Pérez Ortiz was noted as connecting remotely; Lizy Janet Burgos Muñiz was excused.
No formal roll-call votes on any of the four measures were recorded on the floor during this meeting. The committee concluded its work at 12:24 p.m. and adjourned. Any final adoption or rejection of the measures will be determined by the subsequent referendum process established under the House rules.
