Senate ratifies bicam report on OSG, energy efficiency bills

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate on Wednesday ratified the bicameral conference committee report on bills strengthening the Office of Solicitor General (OSG) and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act.

Senate ratified and adopted the bicameral committee report on disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill No. 1823 and House Bill No. 7376.

Under the bill, the authority of OSG will be expanded, including the right to hire more lawyers to boost its efforts as the government’s principal law office and legal defender.

The bill also mandates competitive retirement perks and other benefits for OSG lawyers to convince them to stay and likewise help the agency recruit new lawyers.

The measure also seeks to extend same benefits of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals justices to the Solicitor General when he or she retires after 15 years of service.

 Aside from this, Senate also ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill No. 1531 and House Bill No. 8629.

The bill aims to establish a framework for introducing fundamental policies on energy efficiency and conservation such as “promotion of efficient usage of energy and increase in usage of renewable energy technologies.”

Under the bill, the Department of Energy will handle the “planning, formulation, development, implementation, enforcement and monitoring of energy management policies.” / gsg

READ: Solon: Bill for energy efficiency, conservation to become law soon