Dominican business group urges Congress to speed up two-year delay of corporate criminal liability rules
The business federation wants lawmakers to approve a two-year postponement before the November 5 deadline.
Key points
- CONEP asks Congress to approve the two-year extension before November 5, 2026.
- The bill passed the Senate on October 21 and still needs the Chamber of Deputies and presidential promulgation.
- The change would modify Article 31 of the Penal Code to give companies an adaptation period.
- The group says firms need time to set up compliance programs, internal controls and whistleblower channels.
The Consejo Nacional de la Empresa Privada (CONEP) has asked Congress to speed up approval of a bill that would delay for two years the start of new Penal Code provisions on corporate criminal liability.
The business group expressed concern about how close the scheduled date is. The provisions were set to take effect on November 5, 2026, and CONEP asked lawmakers to finish the legislative process before that date.
The bill was submitted by Senator Rafael Barón Duluc Rijo of La Altagracia. It was declared urgent and approved by the Senate on October 21. It still needs approval from the Chamber of Deputies and promulgation by the Executive Branch.
In letters addressed to Senate President Ricardo de los Santos and Chamber of Deputies President Alfredo Pacheco, CONEP welcomed the Senate's approval. According to the group, changing Article 31 of the Penal Code would give companies a reasonable adaptation period to adjust their structures, policies and internal procedures.
CONEP said that time would allow companies to put in place compliance programs, prevention policies, internal control mechanisms, whistleblower channels and evaluation procedures. The group considers these tools essential for identifying risks and preventing wrongdoing, and says the process should take into account each company's size, activity, structure and risk level.
CONEP also argued that the extension would allow progress in training justice system officials, which it says would strengthen legal certainty.
Why it matters
Dominican companies could get more time to adjust to the new corporate criminal liability rules. If the delay is not approved in time, the provisions would take effect without that adjustment period.