The president of the Senate of Puerto Rico () is the highest-ranking officer and the presiding officer of the Senate of Puerto Rico. The president has voting powers as it is elected amongst the own members of the Senate as established by Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico. The Constitution, however, does not establish its functions and since the Senate is the only body authorized by the Constitution to regulate its own internal affairs, the functions of the president vary from session to session—save being called "President" as the Constitution establishes. The president is typically elected during the Senate's inaugural session.R. del S. 21 del 2013, "Reglamento del Senado de Puerto Rico" (in Spanish) Senate of Puerto Rico (January 15, 2013). Retrieved on August 9, 2013.
When absent, the president is substituted by the president pro tempore. Its counterpart in the House is the speaker.
The current president is Thomas Rivera Schatz, senator at-large from the New Progressive Party
Background
The president traces its history back to more than years ago when the Jones–Shafroth Act formally established the post on March 2, 1917. Said act was eventually superseded by another law, and the post was eventually established by the Constitution of Puerto Rico, specifically Article III, which establishes that, "The Senate shall elect a President [...] from among [its] members." The Constitution, however, does not establish what a "president" is nor what its function should be. Internal rules adopted by the Senate through a simple resolution establish its definition, functions, responsibilities, and legal scope.
Functions Typically the president is responsible for the observance and compliance of the Senate's internal rules. He also typically:
presides all Senate meetings resolves and decides all parliamentary situations and rules of order brought in sessions, names all permanent and special commissions of the Senate, signs all bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, reorganization plans, and simple resolutions approved by the Senate and the Legislative Assembly, convenes special sessions of the Senate, maintains order and decorum in the Senate, a responsibility typically delegated to the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, must vote in all matters presented in the Senate (can not abstain), represents the Senate in all forums, is responsible for all administrative matters of the Senate, a responsibility typically delegated to the Secretary of the Senate, appoints an internal auditor for the Senate, prepares a registry of all lobbyists that must be freely available to the public, is responsible of providing free access to the public to all works generated by the Senate, and offers training and continuing education opportunities to Senate members, advisors, and employees.
Presidents + # Portrait President Date it took office Date it left office Political party President pro-tempore 1Antonio R. Barceló (1868–1938) 1917 1929 UnionEduardo Georgetti1917–1921Juan Hernández López1921–1924Luis Sánchez Morales1926–1929 2Luis Sánchez Morales (1867–1934) 1929 1933 RepublicanCelestino Iriarte Miró 3Rafael Martínez Nadal (1877–1941) 1933 1941 RepublicanBolívar Pagán1933–1940Luis Padrón Rivera1940–1941 4Luis Muñoz Marín (1898–1980) 1941 1949 PPDFrancisco M. Susoni Abreu1941–1944Samuel R. Quiñones1945–1949 5Samuel R. Quiñones (1904–1976) 1949 1969 PPDLuis Negrón López 6Rafael Hernández Colón (1936–2019) 1969 1973 PPDJuan J. Cancel Ríos 7Juan J. Cancel Ríos (1925–1992) 1973 1977 PPDMiguel Hernández Agosto 8Luis A. Ferré Aguayo (1904–2003) 1977 1981 PNPManuel Ramos Barroso 9Miguel Hernández Agosto (1927–2016) 1981 1993 PPDSergio Peña Clos1981–1988Miguel Deynes Soto1989–1993 10Roberto Rexach Benítez (1929–2012) 1993 1997 PNPNicolás Nogueras Cartagena1993–1995Luisa Lebrón de Rivera1995–1997 11Charles A. Rodríguez Colón (b. 1954) 1997 2001 PNPAníbal Marrero Pérez1997–2000Luz Z. Arce Ferrer2000–2001 12Antonio Fas Alzamora (b. 1948) 2001 2005 PPDVelda González de Modestti 13Kenneth D. McClintock Hernández (b. 1957) 2005 2009 PNPOrlando Parga Figueroa 14Thomas Rivera Schatz (b. 1966) 2009 2013 PNPMargarita Nolasco Santiago 15 Eduardo Bhatia (b. 1964) 2013 2017 PPD José Luis Dalmau 16Thomas Rivera Schatz (b. 1966) 2017 2021 PNP Larry Seilhamer Rodríguez 17José Luis Dalmau (b. 1966) 20212025 PPD Marially González Huertas 18Thomas Rivera Schatz (b. 1966) 2025 Present PNP Carmelo Ríos Santiago Marissa Jimenez Santoni
See also List of Legislative Assemblies of Puerto Rico
References