Méndez Núñez says House will study Senate-approved permit reform bill
The House speaker called delays of months or years for residential, housing and microenterprise permits unacceptable, 17 years after the last reform law.
PhotoThe short version
- El Vocero and NotiUno reported that the Senate approved a substitute bill on Tuesday combining Senate Projects 1173 and 1183 to create a new Planning and Permits Code
- NotiCel and NotiUno reported that Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez stated the House will wait to receive the measures officially before beginning a detailed study because they are voluminous and has not said whether public hearings will be held
- El Nuevo Día reported the substitute bill totals 868 pages; the Senate held five public hearings on the original bills but not on the substitute
- Méndez Núñez told reporters that waiting months or years for a permit is not acceptable and that 17 years have passed since Law 161-2009
Updates
Update, Oct 14, 1:39 PM AST
El Nuevo Día adds the bill is 868 pages, Senate held 5 hearings on originals but not substitute, and environmental groups will now focus on House process.
El Nuevo Día reported on Wednesday that House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez has not yet decided how the chamber will handle the permit reform bill once it arrives, stating in written comments that they will wait to see the voluminous measure before outlining a course of action. El Nuevo Día reported
The newspaper added that the substitute bill approved by the Senate on Tuesday totals 868 pages and combines elements of Senate Projects 1183, filed by Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, and 1173, filed by Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz. It noted the Senate held five public hearings on the original bills but not on the substitute version. Environmental and scientific organizations that unsuccessfully sought additional Senate hearings on the new provisions will now direct their efforts toward the House process, according to El Nuevo Día.
Méndez Núñez reiterated the need for a true permit reform, repeating that 17 years have passed since Law 161-2009 and that despite executive orders signed since 2025 the system remains unaligned with current realities.
Update, Oct 14, 1:33 PM AST
NotiCel adds that Méndez declined to say if public hearings will be held and details multiple criticisms from environmental and community groups.
NotiCel reported that House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez did not reveal whether the House will hold public hearings on the Senate-approved permit reform bill. NotiCel reported that he repeated the House will first await official receipt of the voluminous measure before deciding on next steps.
The outlet detailed objections from environmental, legal and community groups to provisions that could weaken coastal and buffer-zone protections, alter definitions affecting the Ley del Carso, create a “socioeconomic impact priority project” category allowing expedited governor-approved reviews, concentrate power in the Department of Economic Development and Commerce, and require a deposit (such as 10% of project value) to seek court injunctions against developments.
NotiCel noted the over-800-page substitute for Senate Projects 1173 and 1183 bypassed public hearings even though two earlier bills had received them; it also reproduced Méndez’s full written statement agreeing with the Senate version that incorporated minority-suggested amendments.
House to evaluate voluminous bill
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez, president of the House of Representatives, said the chamber will wait until it officially receives the substitute bill approved the previous day by the Senate before beginning a detailed evaluation. El Vocero reported that the measure integrates provisions from Senate Projects 1173 and 1183 and proposes a new Código de Planificación y Permisos to consolidate rules on planning, authorization and oversight.
Méndez Núñez, of the New Progressive Party, reiterated the need to reform the current system. He questioned delays in granting permits for home improvements, affordable housing projects and microenterprises. The House speaker noted that 17 years have passed since the approval of Law 161-2009, known as the Permit Reform, and that despite efforts including executive orders signed since 2025 the system is not aligned with current needs. NotiUno reported that he said citizens and small and medium-sized businesses cannot reach their full development potential without a true reform.
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Esperar meses o hasta años por un permiso para realizar mejoras en una casa, o el desarrollo de proyectos de vivienda accesible, o establecer una microempresa, sencillamente no es aceptable
Our translation: Waiting months or even years for a permit to make improvements to a house, or the development of affordable housing projects, or to establish a microenterprise, is simply not acceptable
The source's own statement, as quoted by NotiUno. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Senate vote and opposition
The Senate approved the substitute project with 17 votes in favor, eight against and three senators not voting. Among its provisions are the transformation of the Junta de Planificación into the Junta de Planificación y Urbanismo, designating the Department of Economic Development and Commerce as the governing entity for the permit system, and creating new administrative structures for applications and complaints. The proposal also includes mechanisms to expedite certain construction and remodeling procedures as well as changes related to land protection and coastal access. Some provisions were amended during Senate debate. El Vocero reported
The approval occurred amid requests from environmental, community and professional organizations to halt consideration of the measure and hold public hearings. Promoters defend the bill as a tool to reduce bureaucracy and speed processes, while environmental and community sectors have warned of possible effects on citizen participation and natural resource protection.
Where the sources differ
All four outlets—El Vocero, NotiUno, NotiCel and El Nuevo Día—agree on the Senate approval on Tuesday with 17 votes in favor, eight against and three absent, the 17 years since Law 161-2009, Méndez Núñez’s statements about waiting for the bill before detailed study and the need for true reform, and the main provisions. El Nuevo Día and NotiCel both describe the bill as voluminous and note the Senate did not hold hearings on the substitute; El Nuevo Día specifies 868 pages and five hearings on the originals, while NotiCel previously added that it bypassed hearings on two predecessor bills and faces criticisms from environmental, legal and community groups on coastal protections, priority projects, power concentration and court challenges. The two El Vocero URLs contain nearly identical text; NotiUno adds that the content includes amendments suggested by legislative minorities. No numerical conflicts exist.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state when the House is expected to receive the bill, whether it will hold public hearings, the exact next legislative steps or timeline for a final vote, or the full list of changes to environmental protections. They also do not detail the specific content of the executive orders signed since 2025, quantify how many permits are currently delayed, name the specific organizations that raised objections, or indicate whether the House will incorporate any of the environmental groups’ concerns.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published and last updated. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Carlos “Johnny” Méndez: “Esperar meses o hasta años por un permiso no es aceptable”
- Reporting "Sencillamente no es aceptable": Carlos "Johnny" Méndez reacciona a 17 años de espera por reforma de permisos
- Reporting Johnny Méndez no revela si celebrará vistas públicas sobre el proyecto de permisos
- Reporting Liderato de la Cámara de Representantes busca cómo proceder con el proyecto de permisos
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día, El Vocero, NotiUno and NotiCel reported the latest details on the Senate-approved permit bill and the House leadership’s position. The exact page count of 868 pages and the number of prior hearings rest on the single El Nuevo Día account.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.