2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 11 - Puerto Rico Soil Conservation (§§ 241 — 253) › § 242 - Committee

(a) The Puerto Rico Soil Conservation Committee is hereby created in the Department of Agriculture, to serve as an agency or instrumentality of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and to perform the functions conferred upon it by §§ 241—252 of this title. The Committee shall be composed of the Secretary of Agriculture, who shall be the chairman thereof, the Director of the Experiment Station of the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts of the University of Puerto Rico; the Director of the Agricultural Extension Service of the University of Puerto Rico; an officer of the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States of America appointed by the said Secretary at the invitation of the Committee created by §§ 241—252 of this title, as member ex officio, and five (5) farmer members. The two (2) new members and those to be appointed hereafter must necessarily be or must have been active supervisors of Soil Conservation Districts, and shall be appointed by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, within the first sixty (60) days after the taking effect of this act. The chairman of the Committee shall designate among the five farmer members a vice-chairman who shall act in his absence. The five (5) farmer members shall hold office for terms of three (3) years, except that the first two appointed shall hold office for terms of two (2) and three (3) years, respectively, according to their appointments.
(b) The Committee shall meet at least once every three (3) months and shall keep a record of its official actions; shall adopt a seal which shall be registered in the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and may perform such acts and promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary for the fulfilment of its functions. It may delegate to any of its members, agents or employees, such powers and duties as it may deem proper. Upon the Committee’s request, other agencies of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico may, to the extent that the available appropriations and the requirements of such agencies will permit, assign or detail members of their staff to the Committee, and submit such reports, cadasters, or surveys as the Committee may request.
(c) A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, and the concurrence of a majority of a quorum in any matter shall be required for its determination. The farmer members shall receive seven dollars ($7) a day for each day spent in the performance of their duties. All farmer members shall be entitled to reimbursement of expenses, including transportation expenses, necessarily incurred in discharging their duties. The Committee shall keep a full record of its proceedings and of resolutions, regulations, and orders issued or adopted, and shall provide for surety bonds for employees and officers who are in charge of funds or property.
(d) In addition to the duties and powers hereinafter conferred upon the Committee, it shall have the following duties and powers:
(1) To offer appropriate assistance to the supervisors of districts in carrying out their duties and programs.
(2) To keep districts organized under §§ 241—252 of this title informed of the activities of other such districts, and facilitate cooperation between them.
(3) To coordinate the programs of the various districts as far as that may be done by advice and consultation.
(4) To secure the assistance of other Commonwealth agencies and of the United States of America in the work of such districts.
(5) To disseminate information throughout the Commonwealth concerning district activities and programs, and encourage the formation of such districts in appropriate areas.
History —Mar. 26, 1946, No. 211, p. 374, § 3; May 3, 1949, No. 162, p. 428, § 1; May 27, 1954, No. 41, p. 218, § 1.