First Regular Session of 17th Congress yields 4 laws

FOUR measures have been enacted into law in the 17th Congress’ First Regular Session on July 25, 2016, to May 31 this year, records from the House of Representatives show.

As of June 1, the four measures enacted into law are Republic Act (RA) 10923 or the act postponing the 2016 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataang elections; RA 10924 or the 2017 General Appropriations Act; RA 10925 or the act extending for 25 years the franchise of GMA Network, Inc.; and RA 10926 or the act extending for 25 years the franchise of Smart Communications, Inc.

The House, for its part, has filed 5,816 bills and 1,089 resolutions for a total of 6,905 measures during the 17th Congress’ first year.

The chamber processed 1,247 measures for committee action, in 97 session days or an average of 13 measures per session day.

It approved a total of 194 measures on third and final reading. Of these, 53 are national bills, 140 are local bills, and one is a joint resolution.

Among those measures approved before Congress adjourned on May 31 were the free Wi-Fi bill, extension of Philippine passport validity to 10 years, the free higher education bill, extension of the validity of drivers’ license to five years, a bill that seeks to include casinos as a covered “person” under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, and the comprehensive tax reform program being pushed in Congress by the Duterte administration.

Bills consolidated or substituted total 557, while 393 resolutions seeking congressional inquiries have been referred to various House committees.

Thirteen (13) bills have been approved on second reading by the end of the First Regular Session. Among those approved were the National Rightsizing Bill and the Magna Carta for Filipino seafarers.

Sessions resume on July 24 for the 17th Congress’ Second Regular Session.