Term length 4 years | ||
Style The Honorable
diplomatic
Mister President
when presiding over the Senate Nominator nominated internally by the Senate Appointer elected internally by the Senate Inaugural holder Antonio R. Barceló
August 13, 1917 Formation March 2, 1917
Jones–Shafroth Act
Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico | ||
The President of the Senate of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Presidente del Senado) is the highest-ranking officer and the presiding officer of the Senate of Puerto Rico. The President has voting powers as it is elected amongst the own members of the Senate as established by Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico. The Constitution, however, does not establish its functions and since the Senate is the only body authorized by the Constitution to regulate its own internal affairs, the functions of the President vary from session to session—save being called "President" as the Constitution establishes. The President is typically elected during the Senate's inaugural session.
Contents
When absent, the President is substituted by the President pro tempore. Its counterpart in the House is the Speaker.
The current President is Thomas Rivera Schatz, senator at-large from the New Progressive Party.
Background
The President traces its history back to more than 100 years ago when the Jones–Shafroth Act formally established the post on March 2, 1917. Said act was eventually superseded by another law, and the post was eventually established by the Constitution of Puerto Rico, specifically Article III, which establishes that, "The Senate shall elect a President [...] from among [its] members." The Constitution, however, does not establish what a "President" is nor what its function should be. Internal rules adopted by the Senate through a simple resolution establish its definition, functions, responsibilities, and legal scope.
Functions
Typically the President is responsible for the observance and compliance of the Senate's internal rules. He also typically: