Governor signs laws on cooperatives and parole.

Governor Jenniffer González Colón.

By THE STAR STAFF

Governor Jenniffer González Colón signed two new legislative measures.

One Law 49-2026 (Senate Bill 356), authored by Senator Nitza Morán Trinidad, which establishes that the Cooperative Oversight Committee will be composed of an odd number of three (3) members. 

This provision seeks to ensure uniformity in the composition of these committees and prevent situations that could affect their operation.

In addition, the governor signed Law 50-2026 (Senate Bill 834), a measure aimed at establishing a defined term for the reconsideration of parole applications from the correctional population.

The legislation, authored by Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz, along with Senators Wilmer Reyes, Jeison Rosa, Rafael Santos, and Luis D. Colón LaSanta, stipulates that the Parole Board must reconsider denied applications within one year, counted from the notification of the final determination by Resolution or, failing that, from the expiration of the 60-day term in which said administrative determination should have been issued and notified.

“With this measure, we are taking a firm step toward a fairer, more transparent system focused on rehabilitation. Establishing a clear timeframe provides certainty for both the inmate and the state, and strengthens the social reintegration processes that are essential for a safer society,” the governor stated.

The Law also orders the Parole Board to amend or repeal any incompatible regulations within a term of no more than thirty (30) days from its effective date, in order to ensure the effective implementation of this public policy