MONROVIA, Liberia – The Plenary of the House of Representatives has unanimously passed a bill to establish the National Rehabilitation Commission of Liberia (NRC). The legislation, approved on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, during the 8th day sitting of the 3rd Quarter, seeks to create a centralized body to coordinate and deliver comprehensive rehabilitation services to a wide spectrum of vulnerable Liberians.
By Jerromie S. Walters / Legislative Reporter
The decision followed the presentation and subsequent endorsement of a comprehensive report from a specially convened House AD HOC committee, which had conducted a careful clause-by-clause analysis of the proposed act. The bill was originally submitted by Montserrado County Electoral District #5 Representative Hon. Precilla A. Cooper. Among many things, the Commission’s mandate mirrors the multifaceted nature of rehabilitation needs in a country still grappling with the long-term effects of civil war and contemporary social ills.
It is specifically designed to serve a diverse group of citizens, including drug dependents, war victims, the elderly, persons with disabilities, individuals engaged in prostitution, orphaned and abandoned children, and victims of disasters. The bill’s preamble justifies this sweeping scope by identifying a national crisis fueled by drug abuse, the psycho-social aftermath of the civil conflict, and the existence of multiple vulnerable populations who are not adequately served by existing but fragmented agencies.
More to the proposal:
The proposal for a unified body is presented as a logical and necessary response to this systemic failure.
In its report dated October 28, 2025, and addressed to the Honorable Speaker and Members of the House, the AD HOC committee highlighted several commendable aspects of the bill. The committee found that the broad mandate of the Commission correctly recognizes that rehabilitation extends beyond drug dependency to include issues of war trauma, age, disability, and poverty.
Furthermore, the committee praised the plan to establish rehabilitation centers in all 15 counties, an initiative lauded for promoting equitable service delivery across the nation. The legislation also includes robust human rights safeguards, such as the provision for Magistrates to regularly inspect centers to protect beneficiaries from torture and ill-treatment, a measure the committee described as a best-practice model aligned with international standards.
Additional key strengths identified were the bill’s forward-thinking focus on reintegrating vulnerable citizens into society through vocational training and enhancing employability, and its cardinal provisions for maintaining the confidentiality of beneficiary records to protect their dignity and privacy.bHowever, the committee’s report also revealed significant structural, operational, and financial concerns that it insisted must be addressed to ensure the Commission is ultimately effective, efficient, and constitutionally sound.
Despite these identified challenges, the committee concluded that the establishment of the NRC is a necessary and commendable initiative that aligns with the government’s fundamental duty to protect its most vulnerable citizens. The committee therefore argued that it is the best vehicle to holistically, effectively, and collectively address the complex issue of rehabilitation for the nation’s most at-risk populations.
With the bill’s passage by the House of Representatives, it now moves to the Liberian Senate for concurrence. If fully enacted into law, the National Rehabilitation Commission of Liberia will represent one of the most ambitious social welfare projects in the country’s recent history, aiming to mend the social fabric and offer a path to productivity and dignity for thousands of Liberians.
The English:
The bill to establish the National Rehabilitation Commission of Liberia (NRC) comes weeks after
House of Representatives took a critical step toward establishing a $25 million National Social Safety Net Fund, aimed at providing direct relief to vulnerable Liberians struggling with school fees and rent payments. The move was triggered by a formal communication from Grand Kru County Electoral District #2 Representative, Hon. Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, who painted a picture of the economic hardship facing ordinary citizens.
In response, the Plenary has mandated its Joint Committee on Education, Ways and Means, and Youth and Sports to conduct a thorough review of the proposal and report back with findings within two weeks. In his letter to the House Speaker, Hon. Richard Nagbe Koon, Rep. Koffa argued that despite mixed macroeconomic indicators, the Liberian family is in a state of crisis. He described a nation where families become “migratory,” forced to move repeatedly when rent is due, and where heads of households avoid going home to evade landlords.
“The driver who drives our children to school has his own children sitting at home, forbidden to come outside because of the shame associated with the inability to pay school fees,” Koffa wrote, highlighting the profound social impact of the economic strain.
He sharply contrasted this reality with what he termed “huge legislative and executive benefits, large and luxurious foreign travel, the purchase of new and more expensive vehicles, and wasteful government spending.” The lawmaker asserted that a “Government of humans must lift itself to a higher moral order” and act with urgency and compassion.
Proposed Funding Mechanisms
To fund the proposed $25 million relief fund without placing an undue burden on any single group, Rep. Koffa outlined a series of patriotic adjustments to government spending. The proposed funding streams include: Reducing Benefits: Cutting non-essential benefits and allowances across the three branches of government, Limiting Travel: Reducing foreign travel for all public officials, except for those on critical national missions.
Others ways include: Curbing Vehicle Purchases: Limiting the acquisition of new vehicles within government ministries and agencies, Utilizing Public Assets: Redirecting a portion of the operational surplus from the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) and Strategic Borrowing: Borrowing a portion of the required funds from the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), to be repaid over time.
“These are not extraordinary sacrifices,” Koffa stated. “They are reasonable and patriotic adjustments to ensure that our people can survive these difficult times.” With the House’s directive, the Joint Committee now carries the responsibility of scrutinizing the feasibility of the fund and its proposed financing. Their report, expected in a fortnight, will be crucial in determining the proposal’s fate as the legislature prepares to deliberate on the 2026 National Budget.
