Congress Vote

Honduras's Supreme Court recommended that Congress respect due process and the presumption of innocence in proposed penal-code reforms, including maintaining conditional release for incarcerated people who provide information on criminal organizations and ensuring judicial and fiscal oversight during searches.

Legal professionals debated proposed criminal-justice measures aimed at gang violence, warning that harsher penalties without solid investigations risk wrongful arrests and citing concerns that tattoos should not serve as evidence.

Lawmakers approved a L6.7 million (about $268,000) budget allocation for Hospital General San Felipe in Tegucigalpa to install vandal-resistant windows and upgrade electrical and air-conditioning systems.

The National Congress passed first reading of sweeping reforms to Honduras's anti-money-laundering laws, introducing the first regulatory framework for cryptocurrency providers, tightening electronic-transfer controls, and raising the mandatory customs declaration threshold for cash to $15,000.

Honduras allows criminal prosecution of adolescents as young as 12, one of the region's lowest thresholds; Congress is now debating raising penalties for juveniles and allowing 16- and 17-year-olds accused of serious crimes to face adult prosecution.

Congress received the Supreme Court's legal opinion on October 20 on two criminal-code reform packages aimed at strengthening the state's response to crime, with floor debate scheduled to begin on October 27.

Congress is weighing adoption of El Salvador's harsh detention approach (CECOT), but human-rights groups and legal experts warn the strategy risks prioritizing mass incarceration without addressing root causes of violence or protecting fundamental rights.

Congress eliminated a restriction capping labor settlements at 80% of benefits to allow Hondurans suing the state to negotiate full agreements without government obstacles, effective immediately.

Congress started reviewing proposed amendments to Honduras's money-laundering law on Monday to align with international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force, tightening rules on asset tracing, seizure, and forfeiture tied to illicit activity.

Congress lacks the 86 votes needed to appoint new representatives to Honduras's key electoral bodies—the National Registry and the Clean Politics Unit—after negotiations stalled since February over how to distribute seats among parties and whether to include independents.

Congress is analyzing a proposal to allow low- to medium-risk inmates and those with advanced age or chronic illnesses to serve the remainder of their sentences at home under electronic monitoring, aimed at reducing prison overcrowding.

Nationalist congressman Kilvett Bertrand announced that Congress will consider security measures modeled on El Salvador's approach, including restrictions on gang-related tattoos, harsher penalties for minors committing serious crimes, and a possible maximum-security prison in Naco, Santa Bárbara.

Honduras lawmakers are advancing criminal-justice reforms targeting gangs and maras that human-rights experts warn echo authoritarian measures from Nicaragua under Ortega and security policies in El Salvador, citing concerns over warrantless home searches and extended detention periods.

The National Congress unanimously approved spending more than 3.1 billion lempiras (about $124 million USD) on 23 road projects—including paved stretches, bridges, and culverts—across El Paraíso and connecting routes to neighboring departments, to be completed by 2028.

A new law takes effect authorizing the government to budget and pay settlement claims from workers who served in social programs including Vida Mejor, Mejores Familias, and Guías de Familia, with payments to be made monthly over up to 18 months.

The National Congress extended amnesty programs for tax, municipal, vehicle, Social Security, water, and electricity obligations through December 31, 2026, to give Hondurans more time to settle arrears amid economic hardship.

Congress approved a reform allowing Choluteca's municipal government to borrow up to 600 million lempiras (about $24 million) from national or international banks to restructure debt and fund infrastructure projects including road paving, sewage systems, and equipment purchases.

Humberto Figueroa, former president of the Judicial Employees Association, is urging Congress to pass the Judicial Council Law, which would convert hundreds of temporary and interim court staff to permanent positions and enable transparent hiring practices.

Congress approved reforms allowing the CNE and Electoral Court to continue operating under temporary leadership while vacancies from impeachments remain unfilled.

Congress voted to allow immediate use of assets seized in legal proceedings to fund security and law-enforcement agencies, allocating 25% each to Defense and Security, 15% to the Public Ministry, and 10% to other crime-fighting bodies, with the Finance Ministry guaranteeing repayment if courts rule in a defendant's favor.

Congress started analyzing the 2027 general budget of 455.4 billion lempiras (about $18.2 billion), a 2.5% increase from 2026, with the government proposing to cut operating expenses to direct more funds toward education, health, security, infrastructure, and job creation.

Congressman Rashid Mejía introduced a proposal to adjust disability, old-age, and survivor pensions under the Social Security Institute (IHSS) in line with inflation, addressing what he called unfair contribution gaps across income levels.

Congress moved forward on legislation that would ban unauthorized speed bumps on Honduras's main highways, require technical certification, and direct the Infrastructure Ministry to inventory and replace non-compliant devices within 12 months.

Congress approved a measure making March the national month for cervical cancer prevention, directing the Health Ministry to strengthen prevention campaigns and ensure public health facilities have supplies for early detection screening.

The National Congress began first reading of a framework bill to combat climate change through national policy, emissions controls, and international-treaty compliance, introduced by Partido Nacional congressman Jonathan Laínez.

Coffee growers and agricultural professionals have asked Congress to amend Decree 128-2026 to include their debts to state agricultural bank Banadesa in a financial relief program, citing labor shortages, rising input costs, and legal collection actions threatening their operations.

A special committee approved a proposal to create a new National Congress of Adolescence and Youth for Hondurans ages 15–20, to be held annually in June and designed to build civic and parliamentary leadership skills.

Congress amended the economic reactivation law to allow decentralized government agencies and municipalities to resolve labor and administrative disputes internally through mediation, bypassing labor and administrative courts.

Social organizations and civil-society groups warn that a new law targeting terrorist organizations, gangs, and maras approved by Congress uses vague concepts that could criminalize legitimate protest, land defense, journalism, and civic advocacy.

Congress expects to vote soon on security reforms including measures to deny substitute sentences to gang members, regulate gang tattoos, and extend detention-hearing deadlines to 48 hours, pending a Supreme Court legal opinion due next week.