Legislative production on health in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Pará (ALEPA)

2015-2022

Abstract

This article analyzes the legislative activity of the Legislative Assembly of Pará (ALEPA) on health-related issues between 2015 and 2022, covering the last term of Governor Simão Jatene (PSDB) and the first term of Governor Helder Barbalho (PMDB/MDB). To this end, all Ordinary Bills, Supplementary Bills, and Proposed Constitutional Amendments submitted to the state legislature were examined, with emphasis on the partisan origin of the sponsors, the number of initiatives by party, the frequency of final decisions on bills, success rates, and the processing time of the proposals. The findings indicate that health ranks only fifth among the thematic areas addressed by the Assembly. Although this position remains unchanged across legislatures, the Helder administration period shows greater legislative engagement in health-related initiatives compared to the preceding government. Moreover, decisions during this period have been made more swiftly. Finally, the main sponsor of health-related proposals is the Legislative Branch itself, while the role of the state Executive Branch has been merely residual.