House passes bills aiding senior citizens, tables birth certificate confidentiality legislation

Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez, center, emphasized his “unwavering commitment to our seniors, the men and women who built modern Puerto Rico.”

By The Star Staff

At the start of the second yearly session earlier this week, the island House of Representatives tabled Senate legislation aimed at establishing the confidentiality of birth certificates.

Senate Bill 331 seeks to amend the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry Act to ensure the confidentiality of all certificates issued by this agency, redefine the term “interested party,” and clarify the circumstances under which courts may order the release of birth certificates. However, the bill has been postponed for future consideration. Media organizations have opposed the legislation, arguing that it could hinder investigations, such as the one revealing that more than 3,000 people died due to Hurricane Maria.

In contrast, the House approved on Monday a series of measures backed by the American Association of Retired Persons and introduced by House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez, aimed at investigating compliance with numerous laws designed to benefit senior citizens. Rep. Méndez Núñez emphasized his “unwavering commitment” through the initiatives “to our seniors, the men and women who built modern Puerto Rico.”

House Resolution (HR) 372 was the first measure approved, directing the Committee on Aging and Social Welfare to investigate compliance with laws promoting the comprehensive development of the senior citizen population. That includes examining the “Bill of Rights and Government Public Policy for Seniors” to assess the effectiveness of government agencies in enforcing the aforementioned laws and determining whether new public policies are necessary.

HR 374 followed, instructing the Committees on Public Safety and Senior Citizens & Social Welfare to investigate issues related to security and crime directed at seniors over 60 years of age, as well as proposals for public policy and interagency action to address those concerns.

Additionally, HR 373 was approved to evaluate the availability, accessibility, scope and effectiveness of the lifelong learning model, its implementation in Puerto Rico, and the feasibility of establishing public policies that guarantee voluntary access to this educational option while facilitating the reintegration of senior citizens into the workforce.

Other approved legislation included HR 371, which instructs the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to investigate the implementation of the public policy established by the “Act to Declare Public Policy on the Adoption of the Complete Streets Concept;” HR 370, to express support for efforts to enhance economic and cultural connections between Puerto Rico and Taiwan; and House Bill 680, which amends the “Puerto Rico Condohotel Act” to modernize that legislation and ensure its relevance to current market conditions by facilitating the development and sale of new condo-hotel units, simplifying property management, and allowing existing properties to adopt the model, thereby strengthening Puerto Rico’s tourism infrastructure without adversely affecting the General Fund or municipal finances.