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A proposal to impose electronic ankle bracelets for all domestic violence cases, when bail is authorized, received mixed opinions on Wednesday during a public hearing before the House Legal Committee, chaired by Representative José “Che” Pérez Cordero.
The hearing was held to evaluate House Bill 15.
The measure, authored by Speaker of the House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez, aims to amend Law 99-2009, which establishes the Domestic Violence Surveillance, Protection, and Prevention Program. The proposed changes seek to ensure the mandatory use of electronic “shackles” and to define exclusion zones, a recommendation that various sectors have advocated for several years.
However, the Puerto Rico Bar Association questioned the potential consequences of creating an automatic requirement for domestic violence cases, and expressed concern that the actual victims of violence could end up facing charges against them.
“This encourages us to be cautious about the implications of including automatic scenarios in the provisions of the criminal aspect of Law 54, especially given the general implications of automatic measures in the criminal field,” said attorney Noeli Pérez, in a presentation alongside the Bar Association’s president, Vivian Godineaux.
Women’s Advocate Madeline Bermúdez Sanabria supported the proposal, pointing out that her agency has made suggestions to the Legislative Assembly over the past four years for implementing the “mandatory and non-discretionary condition” in discussions of similar bills.
Bermúdez also emphasized the need to form a special commission to review Law 54, the Domestic Violence Act, citing the high number of amendments the statute has undergone since its enactment in 1989, as well as the backlog of information requests waiting to be addressed by the agency.
“In the interest of procedural efficiency, we have proposed this because many times there are important elements that legislators may overlook in their rush to respond,” Bermúdez said. “A review of Law 54 is essential.”
Pérez Cordero, meanwhile, considered the possibility of drafting a new statute that incorporates all 45 amendments to Law 54 along with any new approved changes, stressing the importance of “harmonizing these issues and making the law functional once and for all.”
“This is a law we are continually working on,” the committee chairman said. “This legislation seeks to resolve technical issues that remain when we react legislatively but do not necessarily align with legislative intent. We need to reconsider whether a new law is needed.”
Rep. Ángel Morey Noble suggested creating a subcommittee within the House Committee on Women’s Affairs to pursue such an initiative.
