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House approves cost-of-living increase for pensioners, sends Proyecto 2038 to Senate
Summary
The Puerto Rico House of Representatives approved Proyecto de la Cámara 2038, a measure to raise pensions for lower-income retirees funded from this year’s reported budget surplus; the vote was 45–0 with one abstention in the final tally. Proponents said the increase would directly help tens of thousands of low-income pensioners, though they acknowledged potential review by the Fiscal Oversight Board.
Representative Lourdes Ramos urged the House to pass Proyecto de la Cámara 2038, saying the measure would restore some purchasing power for older Puerto Ricans and is funded from this year’s reported fiscal surplus. "Ciento noventa y cuatro millones son indispensables para mejorar la calidad de vida de los jóvenes del ayer," Ramos said during floor debate, citing a first-year cost estimate of $194 million and a second-year cost of $55 million.
Ramos told colleagues the measure targets lower-income pensioners and set out cohort counts and caps: she said about 53,947 pensioners receive between $0 and $1,000; others fall into higher bands. The bill, she said, would provide a percentage-based cost-of-living adjustment with a $300 cap for higher pensions to concentrate benefits on the most vulnerable. "No podemos dejar de darles algún incentivo porque sería discriminatorio," Ramos said.
Representative Denis Márquez Lebrón, who backed the bill, framed passage as part of broader labor and social-justice efforts and cited organized pensioner actions that pushed for the measure. He warned that the Financial Oversight and Management Board (Junta de Control Fiscal) and the island’s debt-adjustment plan could present obstacles to implementation and said the Legislature and civic groups must continue pressure if needed.
The House advanced the bill on the floor and the clerk later recorded final roll-call results for the day’s calendar. In the final tally read by the clerk, Proyecto de la Cámara 2038 received 45 votes in favor, zero votes against and one abstention. Supporters said the measure draws on year-to-date surplus funds the House identified as available and that it aims to reach roughly 160,000 beneficiaries in aggregate across pension bands.
The passage in the House sends Proyecto 2038 to the Senate; proponents said they expect the Senate to act and then the governor’s signature for enactment, but legislative supporters also acknowledged the potential for fiscal review by the oversight board before funds are distributed.
