Puerto Rico Representative Odalys González González has filed three House bills, 1492, 1493 and 675, aimed at protecting vulnerable groups: minors in domestic violence situations, people under guardianship, and special-education students in public schools. House Bill 1492 seeks to prevent economic abuse and mismanagement of assets belonging to people under guardianship. It proposes mechanisms to evaluate those who would take on responsibility for administering that estate, along with stronger supervisory controls and accountability requirements, and includes provisions to keep those requirements from becoming a disproportionate economic burden on families.
House Bill 1493 would strengthen protections for minors when a protective order for domestic violence is issued. It would establish a presumption in favor of the protected party when determining provisional custody of minor children, subject to the corresponding exceptions and judicial evaluations, and would require rehabilitation and compliance with court orders before certain provisional custody decisions can be modified.
House Bill 675 targets the training and well-being of educational services assistants, known as T1 workers, who support students with special needs in public schools. It proposes a certification and continuing education program, specialized training, emotional support, and greater coordination with teachers to strengthen the quality and continuity of services. González said the measures share the goal of protecting those in circumstances of greater vulnerability and that prevention must be part of the legislation, adding that they address concrete needs through prevention, supervision and training tools.