House approves bill to consolidate and digitize proclamations after floor debate

The House voted to approve Cámara 938 on Feb. 23, 2026, a bill that consolidates numerous existing statutes governing gubernatorial and official proclamations into a single law and creates a digital process for issuing and preserving proclamations.

Sponsor remarks on the floor described the bill as a measure of efficiency and modernization: it would unify about 274 proclamation laws, eliminate duplicative administrative requirements, and allow a digital proclamations platform to deliver messages quickly and at lower cost. The sponsor said the Department of State, the Office of Legislative Services and an efficiency office reviewed the measure and expressed no objection to its adoption.

Representative Torres Cruz acknowledged the bill’s potential savings—citing an estimate of roughly $200,000 annually—and supported standardizing the process, but warned that the bill’s drafting replaces the phrase "estado libre asociado" in many laws with "government of Puerto Rico." Torres Cruz said removing the constitutional phrasing raises historical and symbolic concerns and argued the change should not be mechanical or politically motivated. The sponsor and supporters said the consolidation and digitalization would expand reach and reduce costs; their statements emphasized administrative efficiency and a lack of fiscal impact according to consulted offices.

After floor debate and consideration of in‑room amendments, the chamber recorded the vote: Cámara 938 passed with 39 yes and 11 no, according to the roll‑call read into the record.

Next steps: With the House’s approval, the bill will proceed through the remaining steps required for enactment under territorial law, including any necessary concurrence or enrollment procedures.

Exact quotations in Spanish are taken verbatim from the House floor record.