The project was sanctioned without modifications to the Deputies’ approach.
The Senate approved the bill known as “Zero Hunger in Schools”; with 37 votes in favor and 8 votes against. The project was approved in general and then in the particular treatment it was sanctioned without modifications to the approach of the Chamber of Deputies.
The plenary session of the Senate discussed for almost four hours the initiative presented by the Executive Branch, previously modified and approved by the Chamber of Deputies. The sanctioned document will go to the Executive for its corresponding promulgation.
At the beginning of the debate, the opinions of the advisory commissions were presented, which, in the majority, issued the recommendation to approve the bill with the modifications introduced by the Chamber of Deputies with the half sanction. Senator Derlis Maidana, representing the Legislation, Justice and Labor Commission, indicated to the plenary session that a single opinion was issued unanimously for the approval of the Deputies’ version of the bill.
Likewise, Senator Derlis Osorio, representing the Finance Commission, stated that a majority ruled in favor of approving the version of the Chamber of Deputies, which includes several important changes to carry out this initiative of the Executive Branch. .
“Some important changes are that the authority for applying this law is the Ministry of Social Development, currently it is the Ministry of Education and Sciences, the organization and planning, in addition to the supervision, will be carried out by the Ministry of Social Development,” the senator mentioned during his intervention in the plenary session.
Meanwhile, Senator Dionisio Amarilla, from the Accounts and Control Commission, spoke before the plenary session about the majority opinion for approval. “Today we have in our hands a cutting-edge project that will benefit more than 1,300,000 students,” he argued. During the debate, the opposition tried to postpone the treatment, in this case, Senator Esperanza Martínez proposed the postponement for 8 days, which was unsuccessful and the debate continued. The vote was carried out electronically, which resulted in 13 senators in favor of the postponement and 26 votes in favor of the rejection.
The discussion continued and Senator Blanca Ovelar explained that one of the modifications was intended to clarify the provision of breakfasts and snacks, given the confusion generated that only school lunch would be provided with this project. “It was said that breakfast was taken out, I read the law and I can’t find where it says that, so, given that doubt and suspicion, I propose that an article be added in which it is clearly stated that we are going to provide breakfast, lunch, snack , mid-morning in combination,” he noted.