Proposed amendment to Civil Code would recognize caregivers as legitimate heirs

Rep. Edgar Robles Rivera

By THE STAR STAFF

Rep. Edgar Robles Rivera, who chairs the House Committee on Consumer Affairs, has introduced House Bill 1088, a measure to amend Article 1726 of the Puerto Rico Civil Code.

The proposed change would recognize as legitimate heirs the legal guardians or caregivers formally recognized when a person dies intestate and without relatives up to the sixth degree of consanguinity.

The measure addresses the numerous cases in which senior citizens or people with disabilities receive prolonged care from third parties who, without being relatives, assume essential responsibilities such as administering medications, accompanying them to medical appointments, providing personal assistance, and offering emotional support, often for years.