One down, 11 to go.

Legislators passed the first of 12 laws required to implement the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA) on Monday night. The law, one of the least controversial of the 12, regulates the relationship between foreign companies and their representatives in Costa Rica.

Legislators gave the law an initial green light Oct. 23, but those from the anti-CAFTA Citizen Action Party (PAC) requested that the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV) review whether the law violates the Constitution. The Sala IV ruled Friday that it did not. Legislators approved the law in a 32-11 vote around 11 p.m. Monday.