Legislation Congress must pass basic laws for legal order in the Dominican Republic
Despite the “fruitful” legislative work during the first ordinary legislature that concluded at the end of last July, according to the presidents of both chambers, the Congress of the Dominican Republic failed to deliver fundamental initiatives pending for the legal order of the nation to Dominican society.
Among the bills languishing in committee, awaited by the country for years, are those concerning water, sports, the Labor Code, amendments to Law 87-01 creating the Dominican Social Security System (SDSS), and School Nutrition. Also included are the draft law on Cybersecurity Management in the Dominican Republic, a new Civil Code, a new Code of Civil Procedure, the Energy Efficiency Law, the Nutritional Labeling and Warnings Law, and the Climate Change Law, among others.
Congress is preparing to begin its second ordinary legislative session of 2026 this Sunday, August 16. It will have to match or surpass the previous session, which concluded with 416 approved legislative initiatives, 122 bills, and 57 enacted laws. At the same time, it maintains an agenda of reforms and high-impact projects for national development. Looking ahead to the new session, several initiatives of particular importance to the country remain under review, including amendments to Law No. 590-16, the Organic Law of the National Police; the Civil Code; reforms to the General Health Law and the Mental Health Law; and amendments to the General Education Law.
It will also have to continue with initiatives on security in public infrastructure, protection of the marine coastal zone and its resources, contentious administrative jurisdiction, prevention and eradication of political violence against women, prosecution of criminal organizations, care and protection of victims and witnesses, climate change, sports and recreation, and cybersecurity.
These issues are complemented by reforms such as legislation on Disability, Freedom of Expression, the Water Code, and laws regulating Artificial Intelligence.
Last legislature
At the end of the first ordinary legislative session, on July 26, the presidents of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, Ricardo de Los Santos and Alfredo Pacheco, respectively, described the work carried out as fruitful.
They highlighted the main laws approved and enacted, such as Law No. 84-25, Organic Law of Oversight and Control of the National Congress; the Penal Code, No. 74-25; the Criminal Procedure Code, No. 97-25; the Organic Law of the Ministry of Justice, No. 80-25; Law No. 1-26, which creates the National Intelligence Directorate (DNI) and regulates the National Intelligence System; and Law No. 47-25, on Public Procurement, among other pieces of institutional relevance.
In the areas of citizen protection, economic development and regulation of activities with social impact, the following stand out: Law No. 25-26, which creates the National Alert System for the Search for Missing Persons, “Alertas RD”; Law No. 30-26, on Measures for Economic Growth, Tax Simplification and Mitigation of the International Crisis; and Law No. 85-25, on Rental of Real Estate and Evictions, among other pieces that update the national legal framework.
Management firms
On August 16, the National Congress resumes its work with the challenge of turning the results achieved and national priorities into new legislative responses for the country.
This Sunday, August 16, the legislative chambers will install their governing boards without change, with the same presidents continuing in both wings of the National Congress: Alfredo Pacheco in the CD and Ricardo de los Santos in the Senate.
The decision adopted by the Executive Directorate of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), with an absolute majority in both chambers, reaffirms the organization’s confidence in the experience and leadership of both leaders.
In the Senate, the new team will be accompanied by Julito Fulcar as vice president, and Guillermo Lama and Aracelys Villanueva as secretaries.
