Summary.
The bill amends Article 8 of Law 86 of 2010, as amended by Law 15 of 2014, concerning the determination of beneficiaries of the B/.120.00 at 65 Program. It provides for the Ministry of Social Development (Ministerio de Desarrollo Social) to compile an official registry using information gathered by outreach workers, technical staff, and other authorized personnel. The registry would include people who meet the requirements and conditions established in Law 86 of 2010 and would draw on information from various sources.
The first source is the Vulnerability Census of the Opportunities Network (Censo de Vulnerabilidad de la Red de Oportunidades). Older adults covered by the census who seek to join the Program would only have to complete enrollment, without an initial assessment of vulnerability, marginalization, social risk, or poverty. The bill also includes voluntary enrollment at designated Ministry of Social Development offices nationwide and enrollment information collected by community boards in hard-to-reach corregimientos designated by the Ministry. It adds databases of retirees and pensioners held by the Social Security Fund (Caja de Seguro Social) and other public or private institutions that pay pensions and retirement benefits.
The registry would also use databases of the Public Registry (Registro Público) and the National Land Administration Authority (Autoridad Nacional de Administración de Tierras) concerning ownership and possessory rights over real property where the applicant resides. A socioeconomic and medical assessment would be conducted beforehand to evaluate the applicant’s exclusion from the Program in that circumstance. Other sources would include databases of the National Charity Lottery (Lotería Nacional de Beneficencia), the Land Transit and Transport Authority (Autoridad del Tránsito y Transporte Terrestre), the Panama Maritime Authority (Autoridad Marítima de Panamá), the Ministry of Agricultural Development (Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario), the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias), the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas), municipalities, banks, and other public or private entities. In this context, the bill refers to ownership, including motor vehicles and livestock, and to bank accounts exceeding 250 balboas (B/.250.00).
If an applicant has a disability or a health condition that limits mobility, the applicant’s legal representative or a person authorized by the applicant could enroll them, providing a copy of the representative’s or authorized person’s own identity card. Enrollments based on the census, voluntary enrollment, or community board records would use an informational form accompanied by a copy of the applicant’s identity card. Enrollment would be free. The State would prioritize social assessments and admission to the Program on grounds of poverty. Diagnoses issued by state health entities would establish health conditions, and recognition as a beneficiary would depend on the admission requirements, conditions, and procedure set out in the regulations implementing the Law.
Article 2 confirms the amendment to Article 8, and Article 3 provides for the bill to take effect on the day after its promulgation. Given its content, the bill concerns the Ministry of Social Development, the Social Security Fund, and the other entities named as sources of information; it could be of interest to older adults, community boards, health entities, property registry administrators, pension-paying entities, banks, and sectors involved in vehicles, agricultural activities, and commerce.
What it proposes.
- The identification of potential beneficiaries of the B/.120.00 at 65 Program.
- The sources of information and methods of enrollment in the official registry.
- The assessment of social, property, and health conditions for admission to the Program.
Who it would affect.
- Older adults seeking to join the Program.
- Legal representatives and persons authorized to enroll applicants with disabilities or limited mobility.
- The Ministry of Social Development and entities that provide information to the registry.
Key points.
- The Ministry of Social Development would compile an official registry of applicants using authorized personnel and data from the listed sources.Art. 1
- Older adults covered by the Vulnerability Census of the Opportunities Network would complete enrollment without an initial assessment of vulnerability, marginalization, social risk, or poverty.Art. 1
- The registry would include voluntary enrollments, information from community boards in hard-to-reach corregimientos, and databases of retirees and pensioners.Art. 1
- Information about real property where the applicant resides would prompt a prior socioeconomic and medical assessment to evaluate the applicant’s exclusion.Art. 1
- The registry would draw on other databases concerning property, motor vehicles, livestock, and bank accounts exceeding 250 balboas (B/.250.00).Art. 1
- A legal representative or authorized person could enroll an applicant with a disability or limited mobility by providing a copy of their own identity card.Art. 1
- Enrollment would be free; social assessments and admission on grounds of poverty would be prioritized, and health conditions would be established through diagnoses issued by state entities.Art. 1
- The bill confirms the amendment to Article 8 of Law 86 of 2010 and provides for it to take effect on the day after promulgation.Arts. 2-3