The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce

10/14/2026

NPRCC submitted comments supporting MBDA's Capital Readiness and Business Center programs, which help Puerto Rican and Hispanic-owned small businesses get technical help and access to capital.

We asked MBDA to make its data collection easier to use: Spanish-language forms, less paperwork, an offline option where internet is limited, and separate reporting for Puerto Rico so island businesses are not overlooked.

Read more:

The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce (NPRCC) has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) on the performance data collections for its Capital Readiness Program and Business Center Program (OMB Control Number 0640-0025). Both progr...

10/14/2026

Work gives each of us a way to use our gifts and support our families, and everyone deserves that opportunity. During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, NPRCC is proud to share Verizon's event on how technology is advancing accessibility and employment.

When: Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 12 to 2 PM
Where: Verizon Technology and Policy Center, 1300 I St NW, Suite 500E, Washington, DC
ASL interpretation and live captioning provided.

Speakers include leaders from Verizon, AAPD, Deaf Equality, the National Disability Institute, the Center for Democracy and Technology, Best Buy Health, and Be My Eyes. Thank you to Verizon for bringing this conversation together.

Register here:

At Verizon, we believe accessible technology is essential technology, and that the future of tech, including AI, must be built for everyone. Join us for a conversation with leaders across accessibility, policy, and industry on the new frontiers ahead.

10/13/2026

Join us on November 6 in Washington, DC for the first of three ALVA panels: The Latino Military Experience: A Legacy of Heritage and Service.

Hear from Robin Morey, Teresa Valcarce, Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, Ph.D., and Andres Tijerina, moderated by Danny Vargas, ALVA Chairman/CEO.

Registration is FREE — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1998618178774?aff=oddtdtcreator

10/06/2026

Looking to start or grow a career on Capitol Hill? Join CHLI on Thursday, October 15, 11 AM to 2 PM, at 2060 Rayburn for the Career Accelerator, a bipartisan lunch program with support from Google. You'll hear from congressional hiring managers and learn practical AI tools and the skills that get people promoted. Details and RSVP:

The Career Accelerator is a cross-sector leadership and learning program exploring how emerging technologies, workforce trends, and evolving skills are changing the way congressional offices and organizations lead, hire, and develop talent. The program brings together emerging and established leader...

10/06/2026

The NPRCC joined the our friends at United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and more than 40 Hispanic chambers in asking Congress to bring down health insurance costs for small businesses.

Family premiums at small and mid-size firms rose from about $17,000 to $26,000 between 2015 and 2025. Employers shouldn't be forced to choose between growing and covering their workers.

The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce (NPRCC) is proud to join our friends at the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) and more than 40 local chambers in urging Congress to expand competition, transparency, and choice in health care. Small businesses shouldn't be priced out of

10/06/2026

Today the NPRCC submitted public comments on the federal proposal "Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs." In Puerto Rico, Head Start supported 25,671 funded slots, 10,149 employees, and 701 centers in FY 2025. It is what allows many parents and guardians to go to work each day.

We support English proficiency for every child, and we support less administrative burden. We asked that programs be allowed to teach in a child's home language alongside English, so children keep learning and families can talk with the teachers who care for them.

Washington, D.C. | October 6, 2026 - The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce submitted comments to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) on its proposed rule, “Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs” (Docket No. ACF-2026-0595). NPRCC supports the proposal’s goals of

10/05/2026

NPRCC submitted comments to Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden's Request for Information on major reforms to health coverage in America.

Our stakeholders are mostly small employers and self-employed workers who buy coverage in the individual and small group markets, where rising costs and administrative complexity are felt very acutely.

Our comments urged the Committee to:

• Measure affordability by a family's total exposure, including deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, not premiums alone

• Restore Navigator funding and make enrollment help and materials readily available in Spanish

• Restore premium tax credit recapture caps so self-employed workers with variable income don't face surprise tax bills

• Consider Puerto Rico and the territories explicitly in any coverage reform, rather than treating territorial policy as an afterthought

• Limit prior authorization, require plain-language denial reasons, and strengthen network adequacy standards that account for language access

• Increase transparency and accountability for PBMs, TPAs, and other middlemen, and examine hospital consolidation as an affordability issue for employers and families

A sustainable coverage system has to address the underlying prices, incentives, and market concentration that determine what employers and families ultimately pay.

Learn more about the RFI:

Wyden Seeks Input on Major Reforms to Health Coverage in America

10/01/2026

Join ALVA in Washington, DC for a Hispanic Heritage Month Networking Event!
The American Latino Veterans Association (ALVA) invites you to Raíces & Service, an evening bringing together veterans, professionals, business and community leaders, partners, supporters, and friends.
Hosted by Philip Morris International, it’s an opportunity to make new connections, strengthen relationships, and celebrate Hispanic heritage and the contributions of Latino veterans.
- Thursday, October 15, 2026
- 5:30 – 8:00 PM
- Philip Morris International Offices
1399 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC
Join us for networking, hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and good conversation.
All are welcome. You do not need to be Latino or a veteran to attend.
Register: https://lnkd.in/gP2VmYM5

09/30/2026

The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce (NPRCC) is proud to endorse H.R. 10441, the Puerto Rico Disaster Recovery Completion Act of 2026. Puerto Rico's recovery isn't finished, and FEMA-funded projects shouldn't lose support because a deadline ran out.

This bipartisan-backed bill, introduced by Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández with Ranking Member Bennie Thompson and Rep. Nellie Pou, would extend the completion deadline to December 31, 2035, and require FEMA to report to Congress every year on progress and delays.

We're calling on Members of Congress who represent large Puerto Rican communities to cosponsor H.R. 10441 and help see the recovery through. Patience with accountability is the right path forward. Read our full statement and add your voice.

Washington, D.C. | September 30, 2026 - The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce (NPRCC) today endorsed H.R. 10441, the Puerto Rico Disaster Recovery Completion Act of 2026, and called on Congress to move the bill forward. H.R. 10441, introduced by Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernán

09/30/2026

Today the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce filed comments with the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau on LUMA's proposed fuel cost adjustment for October through December (Case No. NEPR-MI-2020-0001).

The proposal would raise the fuel charge by about 58 percent in a single quarter. Based on press reports of LUMA's filing, that would add roughly $72 a month for a small commercial customer and more than $5,500 a month for a mid-size business. For a neighborhood restaurant, a pharmacy, or a small manufacturer, electricity is a fixed cost of staying open, not a line item they can trim.

We asked the Bureau to:

- Keep take-or-pay penalties for natural gas that was never delivered out of customer rates
- Hold back replacement-fuel costs caused by supplier failures until liability is resolved, and credit any recoveries to customers
- Open a separate public proceeding to decide who is responsible for those penalties
- Consider phasing in any approved increase and require independent verification of fuel volumes and invoices

Puerto Rico's businesses understand that fuel prices follow world markets. They shouldn't pay twice for contract penalties and supply failures that have nothing to do with the energy they use.

PREB halts rate increase decisions until utilities explain the cost of disrupted LNG supply and conflicting cost projections