Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
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The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico ( es, Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico) is the
lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...
of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the
bicameral Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single grou ...
territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The House, together with
the Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the eld ...
, control the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico. The structure and responsibilities of the House are defined in Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico, which vests all legislative power in the Legislative Assembly. Every
bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...
must be passed by the Senate and by the House, and signed by
the governor A governor is an official, usually acting as the executive of a non-sovereign level of government. Governor may also refer to: Leadership * Governor (China), the head of government of a province * Governor (Japan), the highest ranking executive ...
in order to become law. The House has exclusive power to initiate
impeachment Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...
s and bring an indictment. The constitution also establishes that the appointment of the Secretary of State and the
Comptroller A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior-level executi ...
require the advice and consent of the House, with all other appointments confirmed by the Senate alone. Financially, all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. Structurally, the House is normally composed of 51 members. Forty are elected from single-member districts across the commonwealth (with one representative per district), elected through Single-member
Plurality Plurality may refer to: Voting * Plurality (voting), or relative majority, when a given candidate receives more votes than any other but still fewer than half of the total ** Plurality voting, system in which each voter votes for one candidate and ...
while 11 are elected
at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...
through Single non-transferable voting. The House has been meeting since 1900, after the enactment of the Foraker Act established the body formally. The House of Representatives, along with its members and staff, is housed in the western half of the Capitol of Puerto Rico, namely in the Ernesto Ramos Antonini House Annex Building, the Antonio R. Barceló Building, and the Luis A. Ferré Building.


History

Created in 1900 as the House of Delegates under the Foraker Act, the lower body of the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly was the only elected body until the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
was created in 1917 under the Jones-Shafroth Act, then creating a
bicameral Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single grou ...
legislature. The House of Delegates was controlled by the
Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...
from its creation in 1900 through 1904. In January 1905, the House switched to control by the Union Party, which would remain in power until 1924. A coalition of the Republican Party and
Socialist Party of Puerto Rico The Socialist Party ( es, Partido Socialista, PS), also known as Socialista Obrero (Socialist Worker's), was a pro- statehood political party in Puerto Rico, that also contemplated independence in the case that entry into the American Union wa ...
controlled the House until 1944, save for a brief period from 1941 to 1943 of the Popular Democratic Party. After the Popular Democratic Party's landslide victory in 1944, that party controlled the House until 1969, when the New Progressive Party won the House and the governorship, but not the Senate, creating Puerto Rico's first split government. Ángel Viera Martínez, a former prosecutor and freshman representative from San Juan, was elected to the first of three stints as Speaker. In 1973, the Popular Democratic Party reacquired control of the House but was ousted as the majority party in the 1976 elections, won by the New Progressive Party. Viera Martínez was elected in 1977, to his second stint as Speaker. As a result of the 1980 elections, the New Progressive Party had won 26 seats and the Popular Democratic Party 25, but the latter challenged the results of the 35th Representative District, creating a tie with each party holding 25 seats, pending the final results of that district. Since the new House in 1981 was tied, it was unable to elect a Speaker, as required, by an absolute majority. To complicate matters, Ramón Muñiz (PPD-32nd District) died on the House floor in January 1981 and Representative-elect
Fernando Tonos Florenzán Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...
's election was invalidated due to him not having the Constitutionally required 25 years to serve in the House, leaving the House with 25 New Progressives and 23 Popular Democrats. House Secretary
Cristino Bernazard Cristino Bernazard is the only person to have served beyond the inaugural session as an unelected Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives. After having served as Secretary of the House under Speaker Angel Viera Martínez, after the 1 ...
, who normally would have presided over the House only until it elected its new Speaker in its inaugural session, became the first unelected Acting Speaker of the House. During Bernazard's incumbency, he appointed co-chairs to the House standing committees and required that all House decisions and legislation be approved by consensus. After some political wrangling, in what became known as the Viera-Colberg Pact, the House elected Viera Martínez once again as Speaker for the remainder of 1981 and maverick Popular Democratic Rep. Severo Colberg Ramírez as Speaker from 1982 until 1984. In late 1981, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Popular Democratic candidate in the 35th District, and with the Popular Democrats finally filling in the two vacancies they had, that party gained control of the House, with a majority of 26. Even though the Popular Democratic Party retained the House in the 1984 general elections, Colberg decided to comply with a party commitment and endorse a new Speaker, José Ronaldo "Rony" Jarabo who served as Speaker from 1985 to 1992. Jarabo was defeated in a primary in 1992, and as the New Progressive Party won the 1992 general elections, he was succeeded by the first woman Speaker, Zaida Hernandez Torres, who served until 1996, when she left the House to run for Mayor of San Juan. Hernandez's Speaker pro Tempore, Edison Misla Aldarondo, became Speaker in 1997. After he left office in 2000, he was convicted of corruption charges in federal and state courts. He was succeeded in office by Carlos Vizcarrondo during the 2001–2004 term. In 2005, as a Popular Democratic governor took office, the New Progressive Party controlled the Senate and the House, and José Aponte Hernández, a loyalist of former Governor Pedro Rosselló, was elected as Speaker of the House. In addition to the tension with the executive branch, Aponte's term was tinged with greater-than-average tension with the Senate, in which his support for Rossello's bid to oust Senate President
Kenneth McClintock Kenneth Davison McClintock-Hernández (born January 19, 1957) is a politician who served as the twenty-second Secretary of State of Puerto Rico, one of the four longest serving in that post. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton’s Na ...
, whom he called a "traitor" to his party, took him to lead over 20 New Progressive representatives to converge on the Senate floor in opposition to McClintock's permanence as Senate President, considered by many the all-time historical low-point in Senate–House relations. Aponte was defeated for re-election as Speaker in the House caucus held after the 2008 general elections, and Jenniffer A. González Colón became the Speaker, taking office on 12 January 2009. The current Speaker, as of 2021, is
Rafael Hernández Montañez Rafael may refer to: * Rafael (given name) or Raphael, a name of Hebrew origin * Rafael, California * Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israeli manufacturer of weapons and military technology * Hurricane Rafael, a 2012 hurricane Fiction * ''R ...
.


Functions

The House of Representatives, along with the Senate of Puerto Rico, are in charge of the legislative power of the Government of Puerto Rico. The House has exclusive power to initiate
impeachment Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...
proceedings and, with the concurrence of two-thirds of the total number of members of which it is composed, to bring an indictment. The Constitution also establishes that all bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House. The appointment of the Secretary of State shall in addition require the advice and consent of the House.


Membership


Qualifications

Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico states that no person can be a member of the House of Representatives unless the candidate: * is capable of reading and writing in either Spanish or English; * is a citizen of the United States; * is a citizen of Puerto Rico; * has resided in Puerto Rico for at least two years immediately prior to the date of his election or appointment; and, * is over twenty-five years of age.


Elections

Elections to the House are held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November, along with the elections for governor, resident commissioner, the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, the
mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities ...
, and the municipal assemblies. The last election was held on 6 November 2012 where the members of the
29th House of Representatives of Puerto Rico The 29th House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the 17th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico and will meet from January 14, 2013, to January 8, 2017. All members were elected in the General Elections of 2012. The House ha ...
were elected. The next election is scheduled for 8 November 2016 where the members of the
30th House of Representatives of Puerto Rico 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
will be elected. Members of the House are elected for a four-years term. Only
American citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...
s ( including Puerto Ricans) that meet all the following requirements may vote for representatives: * must legally reside in Puerto Rico, * must be at least 18 years old by the date of the election, * must have been qualified by the
Puerto Rico State Commission on Elections The Puerto Rico State Commission on Elections—Spanish: ''Comisión Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico'' (CEEPR or CEE-PUR)—is the government agency of the executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico that oversees and manages elections ...
before the election or on the very same day of the election after he presents himself to his nearest place of voting and shows proper documentation, and * must have not been declared mentally incapacitated by court. Citizens cast their votes in colleges ( es, colegios) which are simply usually the nearest
public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...
to where the voter declared as residence. Votes are required by law to be cast in secret, unless the citizen has a physical impairment that does not allow him to. Those citizens unable to travel to colleges due to medical impairments may vote at their place of residence (homes, elder homes, etc.) or wherever they are convalescing (hospitals, clinics, etc.). In both of these extraordinary cases, officials from the Puerto Rico State Commission on Elections will provide aid so that the citizens can cast their vote—either by using verbal or non-verbal communication—with members from the different political parties required to observe the process in order to ensure accuracy, fairness, transparency, order, and legitimacy. Ballots are redacted in both English and Spanish regardless of whether English is an official language or not. To elect the members of the House, Puerto Rico is divided into forty (40) representative districts that do not follow a particular pattern; they are strictly based on a similar number of inhabitants. These districts are in turn divided into one or more
precincts Precinct may refer to: * An electoral precinct * A police precinct * A religious precinct * A shopping precinct or shopping mall ** A Pedestrian zone Places * A neighborhood, in Australia * A unit of public housing in Singapore * A former elec ...
: an electoral division which, in turn, is constituted by colleges. For each district, citizens may vote only for one candidate from the district in which they declared residence by first-past-the-post. District representatives are expected to give priority to matters related to the district they represent but are not required to do so by law. In addition, citizens are allowed to vote for one candidate
at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...
of their preference by
single non-transferable vote Single non-transferable vote or SNTV is an electoral system used to elect multiple winners. It is a generalization of first-past-the-post, applied to multi-member districts with each voter casting just one vote. Unlike FPTP, which is a single-winn ...
. The eleven at-large candidates with the majority of votes serve as representatives at-large alongside the district representatives with the same powers and rights. Representatives at-large are expected to serve any individual or group but are not required to do so by law; they also serve as a mechanism for citizens who do not wish to channel their affairs through their district representative for whatever reason.


Term

Representatives serve terms of four years each. A member who has been elected, but not yet seated, is called a "representative-elect"; a member who has been appointed to a seat, but not yet seated, is called a "representative-designate". The Puerto Rico Constitution does not provide for term limits.


Salary and benefits

The annual salary for full-time work of each representative is $73,775 USD annually, except for the Speaker which receives $110,663, and the Speaker pro tempore, the Majority and Minority Leaders, the Majority and Minority Whips, and the presidents of the Commission on Government and the Commission on Treasury which receive $84,841 each. Representatives are allowed to generate additional income from outside their legislative employment subject to restrictions, and only the representatives which do not receive an annual salary are entitled to additional benefits such as per diem or
car allowance A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
. Costs associated to traveling outside of Puerto Rico is reimbursed. Cost-of-living adjustments have been frozen since 2005. All representatives qualify for the same retirement and health benefits as of all other employees of the government of Puerto Rico. In addition, all representatives are provided with office space, secretarial services, advisors, support personnel, office supplies, and stationery. Hiring of personnel working directly for each representative is at the discretion of each representative. Rather than providing these resources and services directly, representatives are instead assigned a budget from which they retrieve funds to cover such costs. Representatives that preside commissions are assigned larger budgets than those who do not, thus creating a difference between the budgets assigned to representatives from the party holding a majority in the House versus the ones in minority as majority representatives tend to be the ones who preside commissions.


Majority and minority parties

The "Majority party" is the political party that holds a majority of seats. The next-largest party is known as the minority party. The president ''pro tempore'', committee chairs, and some other officials are generally from the majority party. Section 9 of Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico states that should a Party control more than two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives, the losing candidates with the most percentage of votes will be given seats in the Legislature until the total of minority members reaches seventeen (17). In order to qualify to a Section 9 seat, the candidates must belong to a party that received a minimum number of votes in the General Elections of that year.


Officers

The House is served by several officers with and without voting powers, and elected from within and outside its ranks. Of these, only the Speaker was established by the Constitution; all other officers were established by internal rules adopted by each session of the House. Only the Speaker, Speaker ''pro tempore'', the Majority and Minority Leaders, and the Majority and Minority Whips have voting powers as all are elected from within. Non-voting officers are elected from outside House ranks and simply assist in internal procedures and clerical tasks, and in the observance of internal rules, laws, and the Constitution. Typical non-voting officers include the Secretary, the
Sergeant-at-Arms A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms, is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin ''serviens'', which means "servant". Historically, s ...
, and other officers appointed by the different commissions as part of their own internal affairs.


Speaker

The
Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
is the highest-ranking officer and the presiding officer of the House. The post was created by Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico which establishes that, " ..he House of Representatives
hall elect In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gr ...
a Speaker from among tsmembers." The Speaker is substituted by the Speaker ''pro tempore'' in his absence. Its counterpart in the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
is the President. The current Speaker is
Carlos Johnny Méndez Carlos J. "Johnny" Méndez Núñez is a politician from Fajardo, Puerto Rico. He represents District 36 in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives
, representative
District 36 A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
from the New Progressive Party.


Speaker pro tempore

The Speaker ''pro tempore'' is the second-highest-ranking officer of the House of Representatives and substitutes the
Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
in his absence. Its counterpart in the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
is the
President pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...
. The current Speaker ''pro tempore'' is José "Conny" Varela, representative at-large from the PPD.


Party leaders

Each party elects floor leaders denominated "Majority leader" or "Minority leader", accordingly, as well as a "Majority Whip" or a "Minority Whip". Floor leaders act as the party chief spokespeople. The current leaders are Majority Leader
Ángel Matos García Angel is a given name meaning "angel", " messenger". In the English-speaking world Angel is used for both boys and girls. From the medieval Latin masculine name ''Angelus'', which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived ...
, Majority Whip
Roberto Rivera Ruiz de Porras Roberto Rivera Ruiz de Porras (born October 28, 1950) is a Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). He has been a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives since 2001 representing District 39. Since ...
, and Minority Leaders are Carlos "Johnny" Méndez (PNP),
Mariana Nogales Molinelli Mariana Nogales Molinelli (born October 26, 1973) is a Puerto Rican lawyer, politician, and social activist. In 2020, she was elected to the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico for the Citizens' Victory Movement (MVC) party. She had previo ...
(MVC),
Denis Márquez Lebrón Denis may refer to: People * Saint Denis of Paris, 3rd-century Christian martyr and first bishop of Paris * Denis the Areopagite, Biblical figure * Denis, son of Ampud (died 1236), baron in the Kingdom of Hungary * Denis the Carthusian (1402– ...
(PIP), and Lisie Burgos Muñiz (PD).


Non-member officers

The House is served by several officials who are not members. The Senate's chief administrative officer is the Secretary of the House, who maintains public records, disburses salaries, monitors the acquisition of stationery and supplies, and oversees clerks. The Secretary automatically presides over the House in the interim, once the term of the incumbent Speaker is finished, but before the House elects a new Speaker. Another official is the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House who maintains order and security on the Senate premises as the Senate's chief law enforcement officer. This officers are elected by the Senate, usually during its inaugural session, immediately after the election of the body's. The current Secretary is
Elizabeth Stuart Villanueva Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
while the current Sergeant-At-Arms is Henry Tallaboa Collazo.


Current composition

The current session is the
31st House of Representatives of Puerto Rico The 31st House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the 19th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico and will meet from January 2, 2021 to January 1, 2025. All members were elected in the 2020 elections. The House had a majority ...
, the
lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...
of the
19th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico The 19th Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico will meet from January 2, 2021, to January 1, 2025. Members of the 31st House of Representatives of Puerto Rico were elected in the 2020 House of Representatives election, while members of the 27th S ...
, which will meet from 2 January 2021, to 1 January 2025. Members were elected in the general elections of 2020 with a simple majority coming from the
Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico) The Popular Democratic Party ( es, Partido Popular Democrático, PPD) is a political party in Puerto Rico that advocates to continue as a Commonwealth of the United States with self-governance. The party was founded in 1938 by dissidents from the ...
(PPD). * District 1: Eddie Charbonier * District 2: Luis Raúl Torres * District 3:
Juan O. Morales Rodríguez ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...
* District 4:
Víctor Parés Víctor L. Parés Otero (born July 18) is a Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico, New Progressive Party (NPP). He replaced Liza Fernández as a member of the Puerto Rico House of Re ...
* District 5:
Jorge Navarro Suárez Jorge Luis Navarro Suárez (born July 8, 1964) is a Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the New Progressive Party (PNP). He has been a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives since 2004 representing District 5. Early years and ...
* District 6: Antonio "Tony" Soto * District 7:
Luis Pérez Ortíz Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish form of the originally Germanic name or . Other Iberian Romance languages have comparable forms: (with an accent mark on the i) in Portuguese and Galician, in Aragonese and Catalan, while is archai ...
* District 8:
Yashira Lebrón Rodríguez Yashira Lebrón Rodríguez (born July 24, 1981) is a politician from Puerto Rico and current legislator for District 8 in the 29th House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. Lebrón filled the vacancy left by Antonio "Toñito" Silva after Silva res ...
* District 9: Er Yazzer Morales Díaz * District 10:
Deborah Soto Arroyo According to the Book of Judges, Deborah ( he, דְּבוֹרָה, ''Dəḇōrā'', "bee") was a prophetess of the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel and the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. Many schola ...
* District 11: Rafael "Tatito" Hernández * District 12:
Edgardo Feliciano Sánchez Edgardo is an Italian-language form of the name Edgar. It may refer to: * Edgardo Abdala (born 1978), Chilean-Palestinian football midfielder * Edgardo Adinolfi (born 1974), Uruguayan football player *Edgardo Alfonzo (born 1973), former Major Lea ...
* District 13:
Gabriel Rodríguez Aguiló Gabriel Rodríguez Aguiló (born August 19, 1973) is a Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the New Progressive Party (PNP). He has been a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives since 2004. Early life Gabriel Rodríguez Aguiló w ...
* District 14:
José O. González Mercado José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced ...
* District 15:
Joel I. Franqui Atiles Joel or Yoel is a name meaning "Yahweh Is God" and may refer to: * Joel (given name), origin of the name including a list of people with the first name. * Joel (surname), a surname * Joel (footballer, born 1904), Joel de Oliveira Monteiro, Brazili ...
* District 16:
Eladio J. Cardona Quiles Eladio or Eládio is a given name, the Spanish equivalent of Helladius. Notable people with that name include. Entertainment * Eládio Clímaco (born 1941), Portuguese television presenter *Eladio Lárez (born 1941), Venezuelan businessperson and ...
* District 17: Wilson Román López * District 18:
Jessie Cortés Ramos Jessie Cortés Ramos is a Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican politician and former mayor of Aguada, Puerto Rico, Aguada. Cortés is affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico, Popular Democratic Party (PPD) and served as mayor fro ...
* District 19:
Jocelyne Rodríguez Negrón Jocelyne is a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include: * Jocelyne (singer), (1951–1972), a French singer of the Yé-yé period * Jocelyne Bloch, a Swiss neurosurgeon * Jocelyne Boisseau, a French film and television actress * Jo ...
* District 20: Kebin Maldonado Martínez * District 21:
Lydia Méndez Silva Lydia Méndez Silva is a Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). She has been a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives since 1997 representing District 21. Early years and studies Lydia R. Mén ...
* District 22: Jorge Alfredo Rivera Segarra * District 23:
José H. Rivera Madera José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced ...
* District 24:
Ángel A. Fourquet Cordero Angel is a given name meaning "angel", "messenger". In the English-speaking world Angel is used for both boys and girls. From the medieval Latin masculine name ''Angelus'', which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature (itself derived ...
* District 25:
Domingo J. Torres García Domingo may refer to: People * Domingo (name), a Spanish name and list of people with that name * Domingo (producer) (born 1970), American hip-hop producer * Saint Dominic (1170–1221), Castilian Catholic priest, founder of the Friars popularly ...
* District 26:
Orlando Aponte Rosario Orlando Aponte Rosario is a Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). He was elected to the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in 2020 to represent District 26. Early life and education Took his most of hi ...
* District 27:
Estrella Martínez Soto Estrella or La Estrella (Spanish for "the star") may refer to: Places * Estrella Freeway, Arizona State Route 303 in metropolitan Phoenix * Estrella, Goodyear, a planned community in Arizona * Estrella (Madrid), a ward in the Retiro district of M ...
* District 28:
Juan J. Santiago Nieves ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of '' John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, ...
* District 29: José Aníbal Díaz * District 30: Luis «Narmito» Ortiz Lugo * District 31: Jesús Santa Rodríguez * District 32: José Manuel «Conny» Varela Fernández * District 33: Ángel Peña Ramírez * District 34: Ramón Luis Cruz Burgos * District 35:
Sol Y. Higgins Cuadrado Sol or SOL may refer to: Astronomy * The Sun Currency * SOL Project, a currency project in France * French sol, or sou * Argentine sol * Bolivian sol, the currency of Bolivia from 1827 to 1864 * Peruvian sol, introduced in 1991 * Peruvian sol ( ...
* District 36: Carlos "Johnny" Méndez * District 37:
Ángel Bulerín Ángel L. Bulerín Ramos (born March 19, 1949, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican politician. He has been a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives since 1992. Early years and studies Bulerín Ramos was born in Fajardo, Puer ...
* District 38: Javier Aponte Dalmau * District 39:
Roberto Rivera Ruiz Roberto Rivera Ruiz de Porras (born October 28, 1950) is a Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). He has been a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives since 2001 representing District 39. Since ...
* District 40:
Angel Matos García Ángel Matos García is a Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). He was elected to the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in 2012 to represent District 40. He has a Bachelor of Arts of the administration ...
*
At-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...
: Héctor E. Ferrer Santiago * At-large:
Jesús Manuel Ortiz González Jesus ( AD 30 or 33) was a Jewish preacher and religious leader who most Christians believe to be the incarnation of God and Muslims believe was a prophet. Jesus may also refer to: People Religious figures * Elymas Bar-Jesus, a Jew in the ''Ac ...
* At-large: José Aponte Hernández * At-large:
Jesús Manuel Ortiz González Jesus ( AD 30 or 33) was a Jewish preacher and religious leader who most Christians believe to be the incarnation of God and Muslims believe was a prophet. Jesus may also refer to: People Religious figures * Elymas Bar-Jesus, a Jew in the ''Ac ...
* At-large:
José Pichy Torres Zamora José Ernesto "Pichy" Torres Zamora (born June 7, 1971) is a Puerto Rican politician and former Secretary General of the New Progressive Party (PNP). He was a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from June 10, 2010, when he replac ...
* At-large: José "Quiquito" Meléndez * At-large: «Che» Pérez Cordero * At-large:
María de Lourdes Ramos Rivera Maria de Lourdes Ramos Rivera (born August 6, 1960) is a Puerto Rican politician who currently serves in the Puerto Rican House of Representatives from the at-large district since 2005. She previously served in that position from 1996 to 2001. ...
* At-large:
José Bernardo Márquez José Bernardo Márquez (born September 11, 1989) is a Puerto Rican attorney, activist, and politician. He was elected to the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in the 2020 general election, for the Citizens' Victory Movement party. Biograp ...
* At-large:
Mariana Nogales Molinelli Mariana Nogales Molinelli (born October 26, 1973) is a Puerto Rican lawyer, politician, and social activist. In 2020, she was elected to the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico for the Citizens' Victory Movement (MVC) party. She had previo ...
* At-large:
Denis Márquez Lebrón Denis may refer to: People * Saint Denis of Paris, 3rd-century Christian martyr and first bishop of Paris * Denis the Areopagite, Biblical figure * Denis, son of Ampud (died 1236), baron in the Kingdom of Hungary * Denis the Carthusian (1402– ...
* At-large: Lisie J. Burgos Muñiz


Other organizations

The
Office of Legislative Services The Office of Legislative Services of Puerto Rico was created on January 27, 1954 to provide research, translation, library and legislative drafting services to all members of the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly. Its duties are similar to thos ...
was headed in early 2009 by Kevin Rivera, while Eliezer Velázquez currently serves as Superintendent of the Capitol, the first to serve during two four-year terms. The Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly also receives support services from the
Council of State Governments The Council of State Governments (CSG) is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization in the United States that serves all three branches of state government. Founded in 1933 by Colorado state Sen. Henry W. Toll, CSG is a region-based forum that ...
(CSG), CSG's
Eastern Regional Conference Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...
, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL).


Past composition of the House of Representatives


See also

* List of female members of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico


Notes


References


External links

*
Archived Puerto Rico House of Representatives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Puerto Rico House of Representatives Territorial lower houses in the United States Lists of political office-holders in Puerto Rico