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What it is

Proposal to make prison officers agents of the authority

Admitted step 2 of 7 · Unfinished

It is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 6 February 2020. Introduced by: Grupo Parlamentario VOX.

Official title: Private member's Organic Bill amending Organic Law 1/1979, of 26 September, General Penitentiary, to recognize the status of authority agents to prison officials in the performance of their professional duties.

Follow this law

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 122/000027· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. This is a bill introduced by the VOX parliamentary group in the Congress of Deputies, not yet approved. It proposes amending Article 80 of the organic law A law on fundamental rights, the electoral system or other matters the Constitution reserves. It needs an absolute majority in the Congreso: 176 votes. on the Prison System (Ley Orgánica General Penitenciaria).
  2. The bill would give prison officers the status of agents of the authority for all legal purposes, including criminal ones. It would also give their reports and complaints a presumption of truthfulness, unless proven otherwise.
  3. The proposed text adds that the prison administration must have enough qualified staff, provide them with adequate resources and ongoing training, to be taught at the Academia nacional de Estudios Penitenciarios.
  4. The statement of reasons justifies the reform by pointing to staff shortages, an aging workforce and the lack of recognition as authority, unlike other corps. It also announces the intention to approve a specific statute for these officers.

Who it affects

  • Prison officers: They would be the main beneficiaries: they would gain the status of agents of the authority and stronger legal protection.
  • The prison administration: It would have to provide enough staff, adequate resources and ongoing training.
  • People held in prisons: They would be indirectly affected by the changes in security and supervision at the centers.

Words worth knowing

Agente de la autoridad (agent of the authority)
A person the law gives public powers, like the police. Attacking or disobeying them carries more serious legal consequences.
Presunción de veracidad (presumption of truthfulness)
What the officer states in a report or complaint is assumed to be true, unless proven otherwise.
Proposición de ley orgánica (organic law bill)
A text introduced in Congress to amend a major law, requiring a special majority to pass. It is not a law in force.
Ley Orgánica General Penitenciaria (Organic Law on the Prison System)
A 1979 law regulating how prisons work and the rights and duties of inmates and staff.
organic law
A law on fundamental rights, the electoral system or other matters the Constitution reserves. It needs an absolute majority in the Congreso: 176 votes.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 2 of 7 steps. It reached Admitted, and today it is unfinished.

  1. Introduced6 February 2020Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted11 February 2020The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendmentsnot reachedGroups propose changes.
  4. Committeenot reachedA committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenarynot reachedAll 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senatenot reachedThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOEnot reachedIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 6 official steps on a timeline
Dec 2020Dec 2021Dec 202211. 6 February 2020: Presentación22. 11 February 2020: Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales Publicación desde 11/02/2020 hasta 14/02/202033. 11 February 2020: Calificación44. 14 February 2020: Gobierno Contestación desde 14/02/2020 hasta 15/04/202055. 15 April 2020: Pleno Toma en consideración desde 15/04/2020 hasta 30/05/202366. 30 May 2023: Concluido - (Caducado) desde 30/05/2023 hasta 16/06/2023

Was there a plenary vote?

We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.

What happens next

What happens now?

The legislature ended before it finished. To go on, someone would have to introduce it again in the new Cortes.

It was presented again:

Presented before in:

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
  • Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
  • We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.

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