Legislation

House Bill 1278 seeks to exclude from the right to vote people sentenced for one or more felonies whose sentence is 10 years or more. It was filed on May 14 by Representative Lisie Burgos Muñiz of Proyecto Dignidad and Representative Ensol Rodríguez Torres of the New Progressive Party, PNP. The proposed bill was referred to the Government Committee, chaired by Representative Víctor Parés Otero. The House of Representatives brought the bill to a vote and defeated the measure without prior discussion. While the ACLU of Puerto Rico argued against the bill, the organization reiterated the importance of discussing legislative proposals before a vote, including holding public hearings.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing civil and human rights, supports Senate Bill 125, which seeks to amend the Puerto Rico Electoral Code of 2020 to extend voting rights to foreign nationals domiciled in Puerto Rico.