2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 27 - Prizes and Honors (§§ 571 — 583) › § 581 - Commitment to Youth Award

(a) The Commitment to Youth Award is hereby created to be bestowed upon private enterprises, nonprofit organizations, civic entities, religious entities, youth cooperatives, youth organizations and private individuals that carry out, grant and/or provide assistance, programs, services, employment and activities, among others, at reasonable prices or free of charge for the achievement of a better quality of life and for the civic, social and professional development of the young people of Puerto Rico.
(b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the meaning expressed below:
(1) Young person.— Refers to any person who is between thirteen (13) and twenty-nine (29) years of age.
(2) Youth.— Refers to the total population group that composed of persons is between thirteen (13) and twenty-nine (29) years of age.
(3) Young people.— Shall have the same meaning as the term “Youth”.
(4) Enterprise.— Is that firm, company, partnership, society or corporation founded and established pursuant to the laws, norms, standards and regulations of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for the purpose of doing business or carrying out important projects.
(5) Board.— Refers to the Youth Commitment Review Board, created by this section.
(6) Organization.— Refers to private enterprises, nonprofit organizations, civic entities, religious entities, youth cooperatives and youth organizations to be considered and/or awarded pursuant to the provisions of this section.
(7) Nonprofit organizations.— Refers to juridical persons incorporated as such with the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(c) The Youth Commitment Advisory Board is hereby created and composed of five (5) members. The members of said Board shall be: the Executive Director or his/her representative, designated to that effect, of the Office of Youth Affairs, the Chairperson of the Committee of the Senate of Puerto Rico that deals in the first instance with matters related to the young people of Puerto Rico or his/her representative, designated to that effect, the Chairperson of the Committee of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico that deals in the first instance with matters related to the young people of Puerto Rico or his/her representative, designated to that effect, and two (2) representatives of the public interest appointed by the Governor of Puerto Rico who have worked for the past five (5) years providing services and/or advise to the young of Puerto Rico. These last two (2) members of the Board may accede to a per diem of fifty dollars ($50) for each meeting they attend, while the first three (3) shall render their services as part of the functions of the government office they hold. The Board shall adopt the regulations needed to comply with all the provisions of this section and shall establish the criteria for bestowing the award.
(d) The Youth Commitment Review Board shall meet not later than the 30th of January of each year and shall ask the community in general through a notice to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in Puerto Rico, to make nominations to award private enterprises, nonprofit organizations, civic entities, religious entities, youth cooperatives, youth organizations and private individuals that carry out, grant and/or provide assistance, programs, services, employment and activities, among others, at reasonable prices or free of charge for the achievement of a better quality of life and for the civic, social and professional development of the young people of Puerto Rico.
Besides what has been provided in the preceding paragraph, the Chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce shall annually submit to the Board not later than the 1st of March, a list of nominations of private enterprises that qualify for the award.
The Board shall meet again not later than the 30th of June of the same year to conduct an evaluation of the nominees. All nominations shall be recommended by the same young people who witnessed or were benefited by the actions of the nominees.
The third and last meeting of the Board shall be not later than the 30th of October of the same year for the members to submit their votes regarding the organizations to be awarded, that shall not be more than three (3) each year.
(e) Some of the documents these organizations must present, without limiting the same, shall include, among others the following:
(1) A negative certification of tax debt.
(2) A certification accrediting that they have filed income tax returns for the past three (3) years and/or a tax exemption certification, as the case may be.
These certifications shall be issued by the Department of the Treasury.
(f) The awards ceremony provided by this section shall be conducted together with, that is on the same date and place, the presentation of the “Puerto Rican Youth Medal”, provided by Act No. 22 of May 20, 1987, as amended.
(g) The awards shall consist of a Resolution of Acknowledgement from both legislative bodies, and from the Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and a commemorative plaque that shall not exceed the cost of one hundred dollars ($100).
History —Sept. 22, 2004, No. 434, §§ 1—7.