Bill 55.

Summary.

The bill amends Article 25 of Law 49 of December 4, 1984, which establishes the Organic Rules of Internal Procedure of the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional). It sets out the duties of the Secretary General in handling official documents and information. These include drafting communications for signature by the Assembly President, drafting and signing other communications unless otherwise provided, and bringing documents to the President’s attention. After reviewing them, the President returns them to the General Secretariat marked “Enterado” and requests whatever action the President considers appropriate.

The General Secretariat would keep a record of documents delivered to and returned by committees, special groups or Assembly delegations. It would also record the time and date when each bill, draft bill or proposal for a constitutional act is submitted, together with any necessary marginal entries. The article provides for a single digital register of bills and draft bills, committee minutes, resolutions and summonses for the constitutional term, to be circulated periodically. It also requires weekly tracking of legislative proposals, indicating the applicable procedural stage.

The same article assigns the General Secretariat legislative assistance duties for the Assembly, its President and standing committees, and requires periodic reports to the relevant authorities upon request. It directs the Secretariat to request administrative reports and annual reports from public entities in accordance with the Constitution and the law, and to record and track those documents. The Secretariat would respond to requests from public servants or private persons, or prepare replies for the President’s signature. It would also issue certificates and authenticated copies of minutes, resolutions and pending or archived documents, provided they are not restricted.

The Secretariat would also process requests from Assembly members concerning the prerogatives in Article 230 of the Rules and manage their requests involving services provided by the National Assembly. It would prepare and maintain an inventory of the library, files, books, registers and other archival documents; direct and review official publications; hand over archives, offices, property and valuables under inventory to its successor; safeguard the preservation and orderly keeping of Assembly records and materials; and coordinate the content of the Assembly website with the relevant technical units.

Article 2 adds Article 25-A. It makes the minutes of every committee public unless the committee concerned gives reasons why disclosure of particular matters could compromise state security or disturb public order. In that event, the restriction would be temporary and confined to the affected material; once its justification ends, the minutes would be published in full. Article 3 identifies the amendment and addition, and Article 4 sets commencement for the day after promulgation. The bill concerns the National Assembly, public entities supplying reports, public servants and private persons submitting requests, and people consulting legislative proposals, minutes and publications.