Dozens of bills expired at the end of the extraordinary legislature of Congress that had been called by President Leonel Fernandez for the passing of the budget bill. Among the most important bills that have expired, Diario Libre mentions one that criminalizes tax evasion, one that regulates the contracting of state works, goods, services and concessions, and another that creates autonomous status for the Customs and Tax Departments. Once again, the Criminal Code bill also expired. Other bills expired include one that regulates specially assisted pregnancy, the bill for the state protection of mothers with multiple births, another that seeks austerity in public administration, an amendment to the General Health Law which criminalizes falsification and trafficking of medications, an amendment to the law regulating arms, and a bill that would regulate the issue of credit cards. All these bills must now begin the complete legislative process when Congress convenes again.
Listin Diario reports that some of the expired bills are requisites placed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to strengthen the country’s financial and economic systems. The bills will have to be reintroduced after 27 February. They expired because two complete legislative cycles went past without the bills being debated and approved. Listin also points out that the Chamber of Deputies has not sent its pre-selection of three candidates for the position of Ombudsman (Defender of the People) to the Senate, despite having studied the matter for the last four years.