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Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly
| Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type: | Bicameral |
| Term limits: | None |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Thomas Rivera Schatz (PNP) |
| House Speaker: | Carlos Méndez Núñez (PNP) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 27+ (Senate), 51 (House) |
| Length of term: | 4 years (Senate), 4 years (House) |
| Authority: | Article III, Puerto Rico Constitution |
| Salary: | $73,775/year |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 8, 2016 |
| Next election: | November 3, 2020 |
Meeting place: | |
The Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly is the legislature of Puerto Rico. Article III of the Puerto Rico Constitution mandates a bicameral legislature with an upper house, the Puerto Rico Senate, and a lower house, the Puerto Rico House of Representatives.
The Legislature meets in the Capitol of Puerto Rico in the city of San Juan (officially designated as such by Article III, Section 13 of the Constitution of Puerto Rico).[1]
Members
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2013, members of the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly received an annual salary of $73,775.[2]
Swearing in dates
Puerto Rico legislators assume office on the second day of January immediately following the date of the general election in which they were elected.[3]
Leaders
Senate
The Senate president in Puerto Rico is the presiding officer of the Senate, established by the Puerto Rico Constitution. The position is held by a member of the Senate and is selected by the chamber's members.[4] In his or her absence, the president pro tempore presides over the Senate and is the second-highest officer of the Senate. Each party in the chamber also elects floor leaders designated as "majority leader," "minority leader," "majority whip," and "minority whip." These floor leaders act as party spokespeople.
House
The speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives.[5] The speaker is selected by House members. The speaker pro tempore is the second-ranking officer of the House and fulfills the duties of the speaker in case of his or her absence.
Elections
Article III, Section 2 of the Puerto Rico Constitution provides that the Puerto Rico Senate shall be composed of 27 members and the Puerto Rico House of Representatives shall be composed of 51 representatives, except in accordance with Section 7.[6]
Section 7 stipulates that if one political party wins at least two-thirds of the seats in a general election, the number of total senators can increase by up to but not more than nine members. The total number of representatives can increase by up to but not more than 17 members. Additional members are selected from the minority party or parties, first beginning with at-large candidates in order of obtained votes, followed by district candidates who obtained the highest proportion of total votes in their district. Any district candidates elected in this way are considered at large members of the chamber.[7]
Elections by year
Puerto Rico senators and representatives serve four-year terms, with all seats up for election every four years. Puerto Rico holds elections for its legislature in even years (2016, 2020, 2024, etc.).
Puerto Rico joins lower house officials in five states (Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, and North Dakota) with four-year terms. The majority of state legislatures abide by the model set in place by the U.S. House of Representatives, which are two-year terms.
Sessions
Article III, Section 10 of the Constitution of Puerto Rico stipulates that the duration of regular sessions are to be prescribed by law.[8]
The Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly convenes in regular sessions on the second Monday in January. The Legislative Assembly is considered a continuous body during the term for which its members are elected, and the periods of time for the introduction and consideration of bills are prescribed by law.[8]
The governor of Puerto Rico can call the Legislative Assembly into a special session when the governor judges the public interest requires it.[9] The session may only consider matters specified in the governor's call or special message sent to the Assembly by the governor during the session. Special sessions cannot continue longer than 20 calendar days.[8]
Chambers
Senate
The Puerto Rico Senate is the upper chamber of the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly. There body is composed of 27 members, with 16 members representing eight senatorial districts, and 11 members elected at large, except as provided by Article III, Section 7 of the Puerto Rico Constitution. Click here for more information. Senators are elected every four years in even-numbered years (2016, 2020, etc.). They are not subject to term limits.[10]
Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the U.S. Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the governor's advisory council, judges, and justices of the Supreme Court.[11][12]
| Party | As of March 2022 |
| Popular Democratic Party (PPD) | 12 |
| New Progressive Party (PNP) | 10 |
| Citizen Victory Movement | 2 |
| Puerto Rican Independence (PIP) | 1 |
| Project Dignity | 1 |
| Independent | 1 |
| Vacant | 0 |
| Total | 27 |
House of Representatives
The Puerto Rico House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly. There are 51 members, with 40 members representing one district each, and 11 members elected at large, except as provided by Article III, Section 7 of the Puerto Rico Constitution.[10] Click here for more information. Representatives are elected every four years in even-numbered years (2016, 2020, etc.). They are not subject to term limits.
| Party | As of March 2022 |
| Popular Democratic Party (PPD) | 26 |
| New Progressive Party (PNP) | 21 |
| Citizen Victory Movement | 2 |
| Puerto Rican Independence (PIP) | 1 |
| Project Dignity | 1 |
| Independent | 0 |
| Vacant | 0 |
| Total | 51 |
Role in Puerto Rico Constitution
The Constitution of Puerto Rico has been the current constitution since it was ratified in 1952.
The Legislative Assembly under the constitution (Article VII of the Puerto Rico Constitution) can propose amendments to the constitution with the consent of two-thirds of each chamber. The people of Puerto Rico then vote on the proposed constitutional amendments in a referendum.[13]
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Puerto Rico Office of Legislative Services (in Spanish)
- Puerto Rico Senate (in Spanish)
- Puerto Rico House of Representatives (in Spanish)
Footnotes
- ↑ Constitution of Puerto Rico, "Article III, Section 11," accessed June 12, 2014
- ↑ Office of Legislative Services of Puerto Rico, "Act No. 24 of May 29, 2013," accessed June 13, 2014
- ↑ Constitution of Puerto Rico, "Article III, Section 8," accessed June 13, 2014
- ↑ Constitution of Puerto Rico, "Article III, Section 9," accessed June 16, 2014
- ↑ Constitution of Puerto Rico, "Article III, Section 9," accessed June 16, 2014
- ↑ Constitution of Puerto Rico, "Article III, Section 2," accessed August 28, 2020
- ↑ Constitution of Puerto Rico, "Article III, Section 7," accessed August 28, 2020
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Constitution of Puerto Rico, "Article III, Section 10," accessed June 12, 2014
- ↑ Constitution of Puerto Rico, "Article IV, Section 4," accessed June 13, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Constitution of Puerto Rico, "Article III, Section 3," accessed June 13, 2014
- ↑ Constitution of Puerto Rico, "Article V, Section 8," accessed June 13, 2014
- ↑ Constitution of Puerto Rico, "Article IV, Section 5," accessed June 13, 2014
- ↑ Constitution of Puerto Rico, "Article VII, Sections 1 and 2," accessed June 16, 2014
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