Puerto Rico House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez said the House will act this legislative session on the Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience Plan, but explained the House hasn't moved because what the Senate approved was only a report, not a bill enabling implementation. Méndez said any analysis requires certification of the $6.3 billion the Legislative Assembly's Budget Office (OPAL) estimates is needed to carry out the plan's short-, medium- and long-term strategies.
He said the final report, submitted without a legal text, a complete plan text, or fund certification, was returned by the Joint Commission on Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience to committee in January when the session resumed. Since late 2025 the plan has remained in limbo, leaving the island without clear policy on issues like coastal erosion and extreme heat.
Méndez said the Joint Commission referred a final report to the House on November 18, 2025, but the Senate insists it approved the full plan, per a November 20, 2025 letter to La Fortaleza. Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz, in a December 1, 2025 letter, argued that under Article 16 of Law 33-2019, if the Legislature fails to act by session's end, the plan is deemed approved and sent to the governor for signature or veto.