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Bill

NM 31

Lcda. María del Mar Mateu Meléndez como Administradora de la Administración para el Sustento de Menores

2025-2028 Session

Senate confirms Lcda. María del Mar Mateu Meléndez as ASUME Administrator to lead child support enforcement, payments, and Title IV-D compliance, affecting families and staff.

Notificado al Gobernador
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Bill Summary · NM 31

Summary — NM 31

Title: Lcda. María del Mar Mateu Meléndez como Administradora de la Administración para el Sustento de Menores
Type: Appointment (confirmation of nominee)
Introduced: January 12, 2025
Status: Notificado al Gobernador (Senate confirmed; Governor notified)

Purpose and intent

NM 31 is a gubernatorial nomination submitted to the Senate for confirmation of Lcda. María del Mar Mateu Meléndez to serve as Administrator of the Administración para el Sustento de Menores (ASUME), the Puerto Rico agency responsible for child support enforcement. The resolution’s sole purpose is to fill the leadership position at ASUME by confirming the Governor’s nominee.

Key procedural actions and timeline

  • 2025-01-12: Nomination filed with the Senate.
  • 2025-01-16: Nomination referred to committee(s) for review.
  • 2025-02-03: Committee issued a first report recommending confirmation.
  • 2025-02-03: Transmitted to the Senate Rules and Calendar Committee and placed on the Special Orders Calendar.
  • 2025-02-03: Confirmed by the Senate.
  • 2025-02-03: Senate notified the Governor of the confirmation.

What the appointment does (substantive effect)

  • This measure does not change law or policy directly. It effects personnel change: if finalized, Lcda. María del Mar Mateu Meléndez would assume the statutory duties and authority of the Administrator of ASUME.
  • The Administrator leads ASUME’s operations, including administration and enforcement of child support orders, collection and disbursement of payments, interstate cooperation on support cases, and compliance with federal Title IV‑D requirements that affect federal funding.

Who is affected

  • Primary: custodial and noncustodial parents and children who rely on ASUME to establish and enforce child support orders.
  • Secondary: ASUME staff and management, family courts that work with ASUME, other government agencies that coordinate on support enforcement, and the island’s budget insofar as federal Title IV‑D funding and collections are managed by the agency.

Potential impacts

  • Administrative/operational: Confirmation provides leadership continuity and authority to direct ASUME’s enforcement priorities, staffing, and program implementation.
  • Fiscal: The resolution itself has no direct budgetary provisions; however, effective leadership can influence ASUME’s performance in collecting support and securing federal funds.
  • Legal/policy: No statutory changes are included; any policy shifts would stem from the Administrator’s management decisions within existing law.

Next steps / notes

Following Senate confirmation and notification to the Governor, the usual next steps are formalization of the appointment (e.g., swearing‑in) and assumption of duties by the appointee. The public record provided does not specify an effective date of appointment or swearing‑in.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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