Chamber of Deputies Reorganizes Commissions Due to Legislator Absences

The Dominican Republic's Chamber of Deputies is set to reorganize its permanent commissions this Wednesday, removing legislators who have accumulated significant absences. This move comes as the second ordinary legislative session of 2026, which began on August 16, continues at a slow pace.

While plenary sessions have resumed, the activity within the commissions, where much of the legislative work is conducted, has been notably limited. Official agendas for the early days of the session show few commission meetings compared to the institution's structure. The reorganization aims to address this by ensuring that commission members are actively engaged and participating in meetings.

According to the Chamber's regulations, a deputy can be considered to have resigned from a commission if they miss three consecutive meetings or eight non-consecutive meetings without a legitimate excuse. This measure is intended to create commissions composed of active participants, reflecting the reality that most congressional work happens at this level.

The slow start to commission work coincides with the return of pending legislative projects from the previous session. Both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate must now address these outstanding initiatives, alongside new proposals to be introduced during the current session. Key issues on the agenda include labor and police reforms, a school feeding program bill, water legislation, and social security reforms.

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A deputy can be considered renunciant of a commission when, without a legitimate excuse, leaves to attend three meetings of the same commission or eight non-consecutive meetings.