The Senate passed the law that creates the figure of Public Defender. The Public Defender is entrusted with preserving the individual and collective rights of citizens when government officers affect these. The new figure will have functional, administrative and budgetary autonomy, as per the law. The Senate also passed a bill that reforms Electoral Law 8-92. The modification extends the validity of the "cedula," or identification-voting card to 10 years. Another approved modification of the law orders that "cedulas" issued to those 16 years of age be printed in a different color than the voting card that is issued to those eligible to vote, that is those that will be 18 years at the time of an election. Also approved is the requirement of posting the nationality of the person on the ID card. The Senate approved the budgetary autonomy of the Judicial Branch. The Judicial Branch will now receive an allotment of 1.5% of the national budget.
