Puerto Rico delegation, led by Senate Vice President and NCSL Executive Committee Member Carmelo Ríos, convenes with legislators from all fifty states at the nation's premier bipartisan legislative gathering in Boston
Last month, Maceira Zayas LLC and Honra hosted the first Puerto Rico hospitality event at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) 50th Annual Legislative Summit in Boston, Massachusetts.
The event was organized as part of the firm's ongoing government affairs and federal advocacy work, bringing together Puerto Rico officials, business leaders, and institutional representatives with legislators and legislative staff from across the fifty states.
The Puerto Rico delegation was led by Senator Carmelo J. Ríos Santiago, First Vice President of the Senate of Puerto Rico and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures — one of the most senior positions held by a Puerto Rico legislator within a national legislative organization. Senator Ríos has served on the NCSL Executive Committee and previously served as President of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.
The NCSL Legislative Summit is the largest annual gathering of state legislators and legislative staff in the United States. The 2025 edition, held August 4–6 at the Thomas Michael Menino Convention Center, marked the organization's fiftieth anniversary and drew approximately 9,000 attendees from all fifty states.
Puerto Rico has no voting representation in Congress. Building relationships with state-level legislators and participating in national legislative organizations is a critical component of effective federal advocacy for Puerto Rico businesses, institutions, and government authorities. State legislators influence federal appropriations priorities, national policy coalitions, and committee proceedings that determine outcomes for U.S. territories.
Maceira Zayas provides government affairs and federal lobbying counsel in Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. The firm is registered before the Puerto Rico executive branch under Executive Order No. 2019-031 and before the Puerto Rico Legislature under Administrative Order 2021-03. Managing Member Anthony O. Maceira served as Secretary for Public Affairs of Puerto Rico and as legislative advisor to the Puerto Rico Senate across three consecutive assemblies. The firm maintains a Washington, D.C. office at 300 New Jersey Avenue NW to support Congressional and federal agency advocacy.
