House restores municipal hiring language in Project 971; unanimous vote reported

Representative Pérez Ortiz, who said he chairs the Commission on Internal Affairs, presented Proyecto de la Cámara 971 on behalf of House President Johnny Méndez. Pérez Ortiz described the bill as a technical correction to restore language in Article 2.048 of Law 107 (the Municipal Code) after a subsequent law unintentionally removed that text. He said the measure preserves the intent of prior legislation and does not create new prohibitions or financial burdens for municipalities.

Pérez Ortiz said the commission held a public hearing on Jan. 13, 2026, where affected entities participated, including the Department of Labor and Resources and the Office of Administration and Transformation of Human Resources (OATRH), which did not object to restoring the omitted language. “Estas enmiendas refuerzan principios fundamentales de transparencia, integridad y mérito,” Pérez Ortiz said.

The presiding officer put the measure to a final electronic vote; the clerk recorded 50 votes in favor and 0 against. The House approved Proyecto de la Cámara 971 for further processing.