Legislation

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civil and human rights, does not support House Bill 25, which seeks to address property rights by amending the definition of a constitutionally protected natural resource.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civil and human rights and defending access to public information, warns that Senate Bill 63—which proposes, among other changes, extending from 10 to 20 working days the period agencies have to respond to information requests, lengthening the extension period up to 40 days, and adding additional technical requirements—constitutes in practice a setback to the constitutional right of access to information and to citizen oversight. The ACLU of Puerto Rico believes that these amendments unjustifiably delay access to data of high public interest, open the door to greater opacity and bureaucracy, and could even strip this right of its substance, and therefore urges the rejection of SB 63. Status: https://sutra.oslpr.org/medidas/152452

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending civil and human rights and access to public information, opposes Senate Bill 331, which seeks to amend the Demographic Registry Act to declare all certificates issued by that office confidential and to restrict who may access them by redefining the concept of an “interested party.” The ACLU of Puerto Rico argues that this measure effectively attempts to overturn judicial decisions that recognized the right of the press and the public to access death certificates of high public interest, thereby undermining freedom of expression, freedom of the press, transparency, and government accountability. It further warns that SB 331 constitutes an attack on the separation of powers by trying to legislatively undo what the courts have already decided, promotes censorship under the pretext of protecting privacy, and, by limiting access to essential data, weakens journalistic and scientific investigations as well as democratic processes, and therefore the organization urges its rejection. Status: https://sutra.oslpr.org/medidas/153837

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civil and human rights, warns that Senate Bill 504—which proposes recognizing the nasciturus as a natural person endowed with legal personality and legal capacity through amendments to the 2020 Civil Code—relies on broad, ambiguous, and biased definitions that open the door to interpretations that could undermine the reproductive and health rights of women and pregnant people, as well as create legal uncertainty across multiple areas of law. The ACLU of Puerto Rico urges the rejection of SB 504. Status: https://sutra.oslpr.org/medidas/155081

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civil and human rights, opposes House Bill 166 because it institutionalizes discrimination against transgender people, especially transgender women. Rather than protecting anyone, this bill has the effect of punishing, excluding, and stripping people of rights.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civil and human rights, warns that House Bill 139, as written, allows for an expansion of the powers of municipal police forces without clear safeguards and adequate coordination of oversight mechanisms. One of the dangers is that it would broaden the delegation of duties that properly belong to federal authorities, including the enforcement of current immigration policies.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civil and human rights, supports the passage of Senate Bill 628, which represents a historic opportunity to correct decades of legal ambiguity and effectively protect our coastlines. It is a measure aligned with the constitutional mandate, science, and the collective well-being.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civil and human rights, opposed Senate Bill 297, whose stated purpose was to create a protocol for pregnancy terminations involving minors age 15 or younger, because it adds requirements that could create barriers and risks for minors in situations of violence or urgency.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civil and human rights, supports Senate Bill 124, which seeks to establish the “Bill of Rights of Migrant Persons.”