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S.23 and H.R.229 seek to establish a federal commission that will evaluate aid efforts from the United States federal agencies to Puerto Rico, following the devastating 2017 hurricane season.

Reinaldo Franqui Machin's picture

Both bills seek to examine the federal government's response and relief efforts in Puerto Rico following hurricanes Irma and Maria. This project would produce a report that will take into account floods, landslides, emergency and contingency plans, in the context of the fragile economic state of Puerto Rico. In addition, they will evaluate the processes used for counting the deceased due to these hurricanes, and determine if erroneous estimates of mortality decelerated federal response efforts.

Legislative Body: 

US Senate

Relevance to PR: 

S.23 is of the United States Senate. H.R.229 is of the United States House of Representatives.

This committee would perform an independent evaluation to determine the impact of hurricanes Irma and María in Puerto Rico. The report from this project would be used to recommend improvements, particularly in the areas of emergency preparedness, response and recovery plans in Puerto Rico.

Suggested action: 

To ensure these bills continue to be considered, we make a call to Puerto Ricans living in the mainland United States, and all those interested in the welfare of Puerto Rico, to contact their senators and their representatives. Keeping our representatives aware of the importance of this measure will help it continue its journey to become law.

What to do now?

  1. Contact your US representatives. If you live in the United States, contact your US representative and communicate with him/her. To find out who your representative is, access here.

  2. Send them a letter explaining your support for Bill S.23 and H.R.229. See template letter here.

  3. Follow up and call their offices to express your support for bills S.23 and H.R.229.