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RC 723

Para ordenar a la Comisión de lo Jurídico de la Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico realizar una investigación exhaustiva sobre la utilización, efectividad, implantación y administración de las órdenes de protección expedidas al amparo de la Ley Núm. 54 de 15 de agosto de 1989, según enmendada, conocida como la “Ley para la Prevención e Intervención con la Violencia Doméstica”; la Ley Núm. 284 de 21 de agosto de 1999, según enmendada, conocida como la “Ley Contra el Acecho en Puerto Rico”; la Ley 148-2015, según enmendada, conocida como la “Ley para la Protección de las Víctimas de Violencia Sexual en Puerto Rico”; y la Ley 57-2023, según enmendada, conocida como la “Ley para la Prevención del Maltrato, Preservación de la Unidad Familiar y para la Seguridad, Bienestar y Protección de los Menores”, incluyendo el análisis de estadísticas relacionadas con solicitudes, concesiones, denegatorias, incumplimientos y procesamiento criminal por violaciones a órdenes de protección; la evaluación de los protocolos de análisis de riesgo y letalidad utilizados por las agencias concernidas; el impacto de la legislación vigente sobre la protección de víctimas; la uniformidad en la aplicación de los criterios utilizados por los tribunales en las distintas regiones judiciales de Puerto Rico; y para otros fines relacionados.

2025-2028 Session

The bill directs an independent investigation into how protection orders under four laws are used, enforced, and effective in protecting victims, aiming to improve consistency and

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Bill Summary · RC 723

Summary of RC 723 (Session 2025-2028) – Puerto Rico

Purpose and intent

  • RC 723 directs the Puerto Rico House of Representatives’ Legal Affairs Committee (Comisión de lo Jurídico) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the use, effectiveness, implementation, and administration of protection orders issued under several existing laws related to domestic violence and safeguarding victims.
  • The inquiry covers:
    • Ley Núm. 54 (1989, as amended) – la Ley para la Prevención e Intervención con la Violencia Doméstica.
    • Ley Núm. 284 (1999, as amended) – la Ley Contra el Acecho en Puerto Rico.
    • Ley 148-2015 (as amended) – la Ley para la Protección de las Víctimas de Violencia Sexual en Puerto Rico.
    • Ley 57-2023 (as amended) – la Ley para la Prevención del Maltrato, Preservación de la Unidad Familiar y para la Seguridad, Bienestar y Protección de los Menores.
  • The investigation includes an analysis of statistics related to:
    • Petitions/solicitudes for protection orders
    • Granted protections
    • Denials
    • Violations and enforcement outcomes
    • Criminal processing or prosecution resulting from violations
  • Additional focus areas include:
    • Evaluation of risk assessment and lethality analysis protocols used by the relevant agencies
    • The overall impact of current law on victim protection
    • Consistency/uniformity in how tribunals in the different judicial regions apply the statutory criteria

Key provisions and components (as described in the bill)

  • Commission mandate: The Legal Affairs Committee must conduct an exhaustive, independent investigation into:
    • The utilization (frequency and context) of protection orders issued under the four cited statutes.
    • The effectiveness and real-world outcomes of these orders in protecting victims.
    • How orders are implemented and administered across agencies and courts.
    • The efficacy of risk assessment and lethality protocols employed by responsible agencies.
  • Data and analysis requirements:
    • Compile and analyze statistical data on requests, issuances, denials, and violations of protection orders.
    • Review the criminal processing and prosecutorial handling of violations.
  • Evaluation objectives:
    • Assess the current legal framework’s impact on victim safety and protection.
    • Examine whether judicial criteria are applied uniformly across Puerto Rico’s judicial districts.
  • Reporting and findings: Although not explicitly stated in the summary, the typical expectation would be for the committee to prepare a formal report with findings, recommendations, and proposed legislative or administrative actions to strengthen protections.

Who or what would be affected

  • Primary stakeholders:
    • Victims of domestic violence, stalking, sexual violence, and related abuses who rely on protection orders.
    • Individuals subject to protection orders (as petitioners or respondents) and their supporters.
    • Agencies involved in issuing, enforcing, and monitoring protection orders (courts, law enforcement, prosecutors, social services, etc.).
  • Secondary stakeholders:
    • Legislative branch (through the committee’s investigations and recommendations).
    • Judicial districts and their procedures for granting and enforcing orders.
    • Policy makers seeking data-driven improvements to victim protection laws and processes.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Status: Radicado (introduced) on 2026-06-10.
  • The bill establishes an investigative process to be conducted by the Commission on Legal affairs; it does not specify a fixed deadline in the summary provided but would typically set a reporting timeline within the legislative package or accompanying resolutions.
  • Likely outputs:
    • A comprehensive investigative report detailing findings, data analyses, and recommendations.
    • Potential proposed amendments to the four laws or related administrative procedures to improve effectiveness and uniformity.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Policy impact:
    • Could lead to reforms aimed at improving the effectiveness and consistency of protection orders across Puerto Rico.
    • May result in changes to risk assessment and lethality protocols used by relevant agencies.
    • Could inform targeted improvements in enforcement, monitoring, and prosecutorial handling of violations.
  • Practical considerations:
    • Availability and quality of data across agencies to support a robust analysis.
    • Coordination among multiple agencies and judicial regions to standardize criteria and procedures.
    • Balancing victim safety with due process for respondents.

If you’d like, I can extract potential legislative implications into a concise list of proposed amendments or generate a stakeholder impact matrix based on typical outcomes of such investigations.

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

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