The President of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico —commonly called the Speaker of the House (Spanish: Presidente de la Cámara de Representantes)— is the highest-ranking officer and the presiding officer of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. The Speaker has voting powers as it is elected amongst the own members of the House as established by Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico. The Constitution, however, does not establish its functions and since the House is the only body authorized by the Constitution to regulate its own internal affairs, the functions of the Speaker vary from session to session—save being called "Speaker" as the Constitution establishes.[1] The Speaker is typically elected during the House inaugural session.[2]
| Speaker of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico | |
|---|---|
 | |
Incumbent | |
| Style | The Honorable diplomatic Mister Speaker when presiding over the House |
| Nominator | nominated internally by the House |
| Appointer | elected internally by the House |
| Term length | 4 years |
| Inaugural holder | Manuel F. Rossy |
| Formation | Foraker Act Jones–Shafroth Act Article III of the Constitution of Puerto Rico |
| Deputy | Speaker pro tempore |
When absent, the Speaker is substituted by the Speaker pro tempore.[2] Its counterpart in the Senate is the President of the Senate.
The current Speaker is Tatito Hernandez, representative at-large from the Popular Democratic Party
The Speaker traces its history back to more than 124 years ago when the Foraker Act formally established the post on April 12, 1900. Several laws eventually superseded said act, and the post was eventually established by the Constitution of Puerto Rico, specifically Article III, which establishes that, "[...]the House of Representatives [shall elect] a Speaker from among [its] members." The Constitution, however, does not establish what a "Speaker" is nor what its function should be.[1] Internal rules adopted by the House through a simple resolution establish its definition, functions, responsibilities, and legal scope.[2]
Typically the Speaker is responsible for the observance and compliance of the House internal rules. He also typically:[2]
The Vice President of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico (commonly called the Speaker pro tempore) is the second highest-ranking officer of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. The Speaker pro tempore substitutes the Speaker of the House in his absence. The Speaker pro tempore has a counterpart in the Senate by the President pro tempore of the Senate.
