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Commission refers Senate Joint Resolution 493 to signature collection after lacking quorum
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Summary
The Comisión para el Desarrollo y Fiscalización de Fondos Públicos de la región suroeste opened a final-consideration hearing on Senate Joint Resolution 493 on June 23, 2024, but, citing insufficient attendance, invoked House rules to refer the measure to signature collection for approval in an executive meeting.
The Comisión para el Desarrollo y Fiscalización de Fondos Públicos de la región suroeste opened a public final-consideration session on June 23, 2024, to consider Senate Joint Resolution 493, but referred the measure to a signature-collection process after members were excused and a quorum was not present.
Speaker 2 announced the session at 10:30 a.m. and said the resolution “es para ordenar al departamento de transportación y obras públicas y la autoridad de caracteres y transportación ...” to carry out a feasibility study, design, permitting and other steps to begin urgent roadway infrastructure that would provide an emergency exit to the community via “vía del Carmen de Ponce.” The statement named the Department of Transportation and Public Works, the transit authority, the Department of Public Safety, the Emergency Management Bureau, and the Department of Housing as the agencies involved.
When several members were excused because multiple final-consideration hearings were taking place at the same time, Speaker 2 said the commission would proceed under section 12.16 of the Reglamento de la Cámara de Representantes, which allows the commission president to submit matters by referendum when a quorum cannot be achieved. Speaker 2 also cited section 12.21 and said, “vamos a estar refiriendo dicho proyecto a la toma de firmas por referéndum para su aprobación en reunión ejecutiva,” indicating the measure will move to signature collection for approval in an executive meeting rather than be decided in the public session.
No formal vote was recorded in the public hearing. The only formal action taken on the record was the procedural referral of SJR 493 to the signature-collection process; details such as who will coordinate the collection, timelines for gathering signatures, or any required quorum or signature thresholds were not specified in the session.
Speaker 1 had earlier noted informally that a quorum was not present; Speaker 2’s invocation of the cited House rules followed that point and framed the commission’s procedural path. The session was closed at 10:31 a.m.
Next steps: The resolution has been referred to signature collection for approval in an executive meeting; the transcript does not specify a schedule for signature gathering or the date of any subsequent executive meeting.
