Bill would strengthen municipal investigative powers

House Consumer Affairs Committee Chairman Edgar Robles Rivera represents District 14, which includes Arecibo and Hatillo.

By THE STAR STAFF

Representative Edgar Robles Rivera, who represents District 14 (Arecibo and Hatillo) and chairs the House Consumer Affairs Committee, has introduced House Bill 1306, aimed at strengthening the investigative and oversight powers of Puerto Rico’s municipal legislatures by providing clearer and more effective mechanisms to enforce subpoenas and information requests during the exercise of their legislative duties.

The measure recognizes municipal legislatures as the legislative bodies of each municipality and seeks to standardize and strengthen the tools available to carry out their investigative and oversight responsibilities.

The bill stems from situations in which limitations or a lack of uniformity in subpoena and information-sharing processes have hindered municipal legislative investigations, making it difficult to obtain information essential for informed decision-making.

The legislation would amend the Puerto Rico Municipal Code and the 1902 Political Code to expressly recognize the authority of municipal legislatures to issue subpoenas, request documents, and seek judicial enforcement when a person unjustifiably refuses to appear or cooperate with an official investigation.

“Municipal legislatures play an essential role in overseeing the use of public resources. To exercise this responsibility effectively, they must have clear, modern, and legally sound tools to obtain the necessary information and fulfill the duty entrusted to them by law,” Robles Rivera said.

The measure also aligns the current legal framework with Puerto Rico Supreme Court jurisprudence, reaffirming the power to investigate as an inherent function of the legislative branch and recognizing that municipal legislatures should have enforcement mechanisms consistent with their legislative role at the local level.

Among its key provisions, the bill would expressly authorize municipal legislatures to summon witnesses, request the production of documents, petition the courts to enforce subpoenas when necessary, modernize investigative procedures through the use of electronic means, and align penalties for noncompliance with applicable provisions of the Puerto Rico Penal Code.

Robles Rivera emphasized that the measure does not create new powers but instead provides greater legal clarity and reinforces authorities already recognized under existing law to ensure more effective, uniform, and transparent investigations within municipal governments.

“A municipal legislature equipped with clear investigative and oversight tools strengthens transparency, accountability, and public confidence in government institutions,” Robles Rivera said. “With this measure, we seek to provide greater legal certainty so these legislative bodies can effectively carry out the responsibilities entrusted to them by law.”