¿Qué hizo la Asamblea Legislativa en el último año? Estas son las 20 leyes con mayor impacto | El Financiero

Key Legislative Achievements in Costa Rica

This article analyzes the 198 laws passed by the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly between May 1, 2024, and April 1, 2025. It highlights the 20 laws deemed to have the most substantial impact, categorized by area of focus.

• Finance: Laws focusing on efficient public liquidity management and tax reduction for low-income independent workers were passed.
• Family and Labor: Legislation addressed prenatal adoption rights, extended parental leave for adoption, provided bereavement leave, and strengthened child protection against improper relationships.
• Security: Several laws tackled crime and improved security, including regulating electronic ankle monitoring for prisoners, sanctioning the recruitment of minors for criminal activities, modernizing communications interception for investigations, modernizing municipal police, and establishing a law against vicarious violence against women.
• Infrastructure: Laws focused on improving airport infrastructure and expanding access to housing for the middle class were approved.
• Migration: A reform to the Naturalization Law introduced stricter criteria for citizenship.
• Transportation: Reforms facilitated electronic payment systems on buses and addressed driver's licenses for both domestic and foreign drivers.
• Animal Welfare: A law was passed to penalize animal abuse in domestic animal breeding facilities.
• Executive Branch Responsibilities: A law promoting transparency and timely implementation of legislation was passed, but later vetoed by the President.
• Digital Nomads: A law explicitly addressed remote work from abroad, providing legal clarity to employers and employees.

Many of these laws involved reforms to existing legislation, updating them to address current needs. The article notes that while the quantity of laws passed is high, only 48.5% are considered 'substantive,' directly impacting citizens' rights. The themes of security and family were prominently featured in the impactful legislation.