After a marathonic session of 14 hours on Wednesday, 30 July 2025, the Chamber of Deputies signed off to the Penal Code at around 3am on Thursday, 31 July with instructions to deposit it in the Senate this morning. Listin Diario reports that deputies voted 159 in favor and four against the bill.
Listin Diario reported that the president of the Senate, Ricardo de los Santos said the senators could make new amendments to the bill that then would need to be approved again by the deputies.
At the request of the legislators, President Luis Abinader had extended the legislature through 5 August, the deadline for both houses of Congress to pass the bill.
CDN reports that the president of the Chamber of Deputies did not take lightly that the First Lady Raquel Arbaje and her three daughters had signed a public letter rejecting the bill as passed in a first reading in the Chamber of Deputies.
The bill as passed in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies in the first reading was criticized as a set back, sloppy, and in violation of children’s and women’s rights.
Media reports mention several of the amendments made to clauses of the Penal Code that dates back to 1884.
Amendments include clauses that penalize credit card cloning, terrorism, pyramidal schemes, contract killing, motorcycle racing on public roads and cyberbullying. Included is a clause that authorizes medics to carry out procedures for abortion in the case the life of the mother is in danger. The amended Penal Code also establishes a clause that establishes penalties for the owners of businesses whose negligence results in death of customers.
If the bill passes in the Senate during the session that ends 5 August, it will then move to the Presidency for enactment into law. Former President Danilo Medina on two occasions vetoed the bill that he received from Congress.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
CDN
El Caribe
Diario Libre
31 July 2025