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House commission schedules referendum vote on veteran-focused bills
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Summary
The House Commission on Federal Relations, Status and Veterans convened June 23, 2024, reviewed four veteran-related measures — including a bill to let veteran entrepreneurs lease public property for $1 a year for five years — and directed that final votes be taken by referendum later that day under chamber rules.
The Commission on Federal Relations, Status and Veterans of the House of Representatives opened a public final-consideration session on June 23, 2024, to consider four measures affecting veterans and veteran-owned enterprises and directed that final votes be taken by referendum during the day.
The session, called to order at 11:46 a.m. by the presiding officer serving as interim president, consisted of readings of the measures and procedural rulings under Rule 12.21 of the House rules. The measures listed for consideration were Proyecto de la Cámara 2119 and Senate measures PS 1090, PS 1091 and PS 1173; one other circulated item (PC 835) was not addressed in the public session.
The most detailed proposal read aloud, Proyecto de la Cámara 2119, would amend Article 4 of Law 203 (2007) — known as the New 21st Century Puerto Rican Veteran Bill of Rights — to allow any veteran who wishes to create a micro-, small or medium enterprise to lease property from the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company, the Department of Economic Development and Commerce’s trade and export program, or the Puerto Rico Land Authority and “pagará un canon anual de un dólar los primeros cinco años de arrendamiento,” according to the text read into the record.
Senate PS 1090 was presented as inserting a new Article 17 into Law 124 (1993) to expressly integrate a right of preference for veterans or surviving spouses in housing-subsidy programs established under that statute and its regulations. PS 1091 was read as an omnibus amendment to veterans’ rental-subsidy law (Law 313/2000), revising the statute’s title and definitions, clarifying the veteran advocate’s regulatory authority, setting minimum subsidies for residents of the veteran home and addressing the disposition of surpluses in the rental-subsidy fund. Senate PS 1173 was read as an amendment to include the U.S. Space Force within the statutory definition of the armed forces for purposes of the veteran bill of rights.
On procedure, the presiding officer cited Rule 12.21, which requires a public final-consideration session for measures a committee intends to recommend to the full House and explains the session’s limited purpose: to accept and consider amendments in public so the public can observe the amendment process. When the record showed insufficient members physically present to take a final vote, the presiding officer invoked the rule’s provision allowing the chair to conclude the session and carry out a final vote by referendum. He then directed that the final votes on the listed measures be taken by referendum during the day on June 23, 2024.
No amendments beyond the circulated texts were reported during the session, and the commission recorded no formal roll-call votes or final outcomes in the public meeting. The session concluded at 11:54 a.m.
Next steps: the measures read in this session will proceed to final voting by referendum later on June 23, 2024, as directed by the commission; the session record does not contain the referendum results.
