Senate debates mental health law reform and investment regime

The Senate opened its ninth ordinary session of the year on Thursday, October 29, 2026, after five weeks without activity in the chamber. The ruling coalition secured a quorum with support from allied blocs.

Claudia Cecilia López, a libertarian lawmaker from La Rioja, was sworn in to fill the seat left by the late officialist senator Juan Carlos Pagotto. The session also included tributes to Pagotto, former legislative staff union secretary Norberto Di Próspero, and former president Néstor Kirchner, marking 16 years since his death.

“The officialism gathered the quorum with the support of allied blocs, after five weeks without activity in the chamber.”

The legislative agenda includes the Relevant Investment Incentive Regime, designed for projects between USD 200 million and USD 1 billion, a proposal to create a greenhouse gas emission permit market, and the reform of the Mental Health Law.

The mental health reform, driven by the executive branch, follows intense committee negotiations. The government accepted changes to secure the votes needed for approval and referral to the Chamber of Deputies.

The revised text restores guarantees from Law 26.657 that the original project had modified. Among the changes, hospitalization requirements are relaxed, allowing evaluation by a doctor, preferably a psychiatrist or mental health professional, together with a second signatory who must be a psychologist.

The government also agreed to include psychologist participation in that instance following requests from psychology faculties. The proposal permits synchronous teleconsultations.

The session began at 14:15 and is expected to last between eight and twelve hours. Besides the main bills, numerous tributes and privilege questions are scheduled.