reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 146B - Cancer Center (§§ 3365 — 3379) › § 3376 - Bonds

The Center is hereby authorized to issue, from time to time, bonds to achieve the purposes of this chapter. The bonds of each issue shall show the date, shall mature within a term or terms not to exceed forty (40) years as of their respective dates and shall accrue interest in time that shall not exceed the maximum type of interest established by law and for the sale of bonds of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as determined by the Center, and may be redeemed before their maturity, at the option of the Center, at that price or prices or under those terms or conditions that may be determined by the Center prior to the bond issue. The Center shall determine the form and manner in which the bonds shall be executed and the place or places where the principal and the interest on these shall be paid. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter or the language in any bonds issued pursuant to the provisions thereof, said bonds shall be deemed negotiable instruments under the laws of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The bonds may be issued as coupon bonds or as registered bonds, or in both ways, as determined by the Center, and it may be provided for the registration of any coupon bonds regarding their principal and interest. The product of each bond issue shall be exclusively used for the purpose for which said bonds have been authorized and disbursements shall be made in such a manner and under such restrictions as the Center may provide in the resolution authorizing the issue of such bonds or in the trust contract that secures the bonds, if any.
The resolution providing for the bond issue and any trust contract that secures the same may contain those limitations the Center may determine regarding the issue of additional bonds.
The bonds issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter may, at the discretion of the Center, be secured by a trust contract between the Center and a corporate trustee which may be any trust company or bank with the powers of a trust company, in or outside of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
All bonds issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and the interest accrued by the same shall, at all times, be exempt from the imposition of any type of taxation.
History —Aug. 26, 2004, No. 230, § 13; renumbered as § 14 on July 13, 2011, No. 141, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 146B - Cancer Center (§§ 3365 — 3379) › § 3377 - Repealed. Act Aug. 26, 2004, No. 230, § 15

History —Aug. 26, 2004, No. 230, § 15; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 146B - Cancer Center (§§ 3365 — 3379) › § 3378 - Actions against the Commonwealth Act

The Center, the members of its Board and all its employees shall be subject to the provisions of §§ 3077—3092o of Title 32, also known as the “Actions against the Commonwealth Act”.
History —Aug. 26, 2004, No. 230, § 17.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 146B - Cancer Center (§§ 3365 — 3379) › § 3379 - Obligations

This chapter neither eliminates nor limits, in any manner whatsoever, established obligations of the Department of Health regarding the services of said government agency to cancer patients, especially its duty to maintain a current register of cancer incidence and mortality in Puerto Rico.
History —Aug. 26, 2004, No. 230, § 18.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 146C - Cerebrovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean (§§ 3381 — 3388) › § 3381 - Administrative structure

The Cerebrovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, attached to the Puerto Rico Medical Services Administration, is hereby authorized and empowered to establish its own administrative structure, which shall enable it to determine the services it will offer and consolidate the necessary units and departments, such as the Gamma Knife Unit, Endovascular Neurosurgery, Stroke Center, Interventional Radiology, and Peripheral Vascular Surgery, among others, for its effective, swift, efficient, and cost-effective operation. The administrative structure created by this chapter shall be in charge of the organization, operation, and administration of the services provided by the Center. Said structure shall not be construed to undermine the functions, duties, and powers granted by law to the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Medical Services Administration. None of the provisions of this chapter shall be construed to create a new public corporation. The provisions of this chapter shall be construed consistently with §§ 342 et seq. of this title, known as the “Puerto Rico Medical Services Administration Act”.
History —May 17, 2012, No. 91, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 146C - Cerebrovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean (§§ 3381 — 3388) › § 3382 - Facilities

The facilities of the Center are located at the Puerto Rico Medical Center. However, other facilities or units thereof may be established, at least through Telemedicine, in the districts within the municipalities of San Juan, Bayamón, Carolina, Ponce, Mayagüez, Arecibo, and Humacao. These facilities or units shall be able to provide telemedicine services with the personnel and technical equipment needed to manage the emergencies that may arise so that patients may receive primary treatment, and then be stabilized and transferred to the facilities of the Puerto Rico Medical Center, which shall serve the purpose of providing follow-up and more specialized treatment or rehabilitation.
History —May 17, 2012, No. 91, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 146C - Cerebrovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean (§§ 3381 — 3388) › § 3383 - Agreements and understandings

The purposes of this chapter include authorizing the Medical Services Administration to, in turn, authorize and empower the Cerebrovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean located at the Puerto Rico Medical Center to create its own administrative structure that shall allow it to streamline specialized recruitment process, billing and collection, and the procurement of the necessary equipment and materials. Furthermore, the Center, attached to the Puerto Rico Medical Services Administration, may enter into agreements and memoranda of understanding with state and federal agencies, state and federal educational entities, public instrumentalities and entities, municipalities, and for-profit and nonprofit private entities so as to achieve greater efficiency, obtain funding, and improve access to the promoted services.
History —May 17, 2012, No. 91, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 146C - Cerebrovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean (§§ 3381 — 3388) › § 3385 - Municipal facilities

The Center shall promote the establishment of other facilities or subdivisions thereof outside the Metropolitan Area in the districts within the municipalities of San Juan, Bayamón, Carolina, Ponce, Mayagüez, Arecibo, and Humacao. The facilities of the Center to be created shall provide services twenty-four (24) hours a day to the extent that the resources and facilities allow. They may include emergency rooms for acute, intensive, and intermediate treatment; prevention and rehabilitation units; radiosurgery; interventional radiology and neurovascular and peripheral vascular surgery with updated instruments; and research and outpatient services, among other related and similar services. They shall also have helicopter and ambulance services to the extent allowed by its resources.
History —May 17, 2012, No. 91, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 146C - Cerebrovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean (§§ 3381 — 3388) › § 3386 - Powers

The Center shall have all those powers that are strictly necessary, implicit, and inherent to carry out the purposes, powers, duties, and functions entrusted thereto by this chapter and which, at the same time, are the least onerous for the Center in terms of resources and funds.
History —May 17, 2012, No. 91, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 146C - Cerebrovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean (§§ 3381 — 3388) › § 3387 - Excluded provisions; general regulations

The Cerebrovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean shall be excluded from the provisions of Reorganization Plan 3-2011 of November 21, 2011, related to the General Services Administration; from the provisions of §§ 283-283p of Title 3, known as the “Puerto Rico Government Accounting Act”; and from all other regulations promulgated by virtue of said Acts.
However, it shall approve General Regulations together with the Puerto Rico Medical Services Administration to implement the provisions of this act within ninety (90) days immediately following its effective date.
History —May 17, 2012, No. 91, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 146C - Cerebrovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean (§§ 3381 — 3388) › § 3388 - Funds

The funds needed for the operation of the Cerebrovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean and to carry out the purposes of this chapter during Fiscal Year 2011-2012 shall be earmarked in the General Expenses Budget of the Government of Puerto Rico. The Office of Management and Budget shall set aside the corresponding appropriation for subsequent years under the Medical Services Administration.
History —May 17, 2012, No. 91, § 8.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148 - Mothers and their Newborns (§§ 3511 — 3518b) › Subchapter I - Act to Ensure Adequate Treatment for Mothers and their Newborns During the Postpartum Period (§§ 3511 — 3516) › § 3511 - Definitions

(a) Attending purveyor. — Means: (1) the pediatrician or any other physician who attends the newborn, and (2) the obstetrician, gynecologist or nurse who assisted the mother.
(b) Insurer. — Means the natural or juridical person that is engaged in contracting insurance as defined in § 105 of Title 26; any reciprocal insurance association, a body of Lloyd’s; a mutual association; any program created by virtue of Title XIX of the “Social Security Act”, the health services organizations licensed under Chapter XIX of the Insurance Code of Puerto Rico, or any profitable or non profitable public or private entity engaged in the business of granting insurance contracts.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 248, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148 - Mothers and their Newborns (§§ 3511 — 3518b) › Subchapter I - Act to Ensure Adequate Treatment for Mothers and their Newborns During the Postpartum Period (§§ 3511 — 3516) › § 3512 - Benefits required

(a) Any insurer that provides maternity benefits shall provide a minimum coverage of forty-eight (48) hours of care in the hospital facilities [for] benefit of the mother and her newborn child (or children) if it is a natural birth without complications, and a minimum of ninety-six (96) hours if she required a Caesarean section.
(b) Any decision that has the effect of shortening the period of time provided in subsection (a) of this section shall have to be determined by the attending purveyor with the acceptance of the patient.
(c) If the mother and the newborn are released within a period that is less than what is provided in subsection (a) of this section, but in accordance with subsection (b), the coverage shall provide for a follow-up visit within the next forty-eight (48) hours. The services shall include, but shall not be limited to the attention and physical care of the child, instruction on the care of the child for both parents, help and training on breastfeeding, information regarding home care, and the provision of any treatment, and medical tests for the infant as well as for the mother.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 248, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148 - Mothers and their Newborns (§§ 3511 — 3518b) › Subchapter I - Act to Ensure Adequate Treatment for Mothers and their Newborns During the Postpartum Period (§§ 3511 — 3516) › § 3513 - Prohibitions for insurers

Every insurer shall be barred from requiring the purveyor of services or the insured patient to obtain a certificate, when in the judgment of the physician, a longer period of hospitalization than what is provided in this chapter is required.
Therefore, no insurer may refuse to select, cancel services, require additional documentation, increase payments, reduce reimbursements, or perform any act that is contrary to the economic interests of the insured or the attending purveyors because they have complied with the provisions of this chapter.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 248, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148 - Mothers and their Newborns (§§ 3511 — 3518b) › Subchapter I - Act to Ensure Adequate Treatment for Mothers and their Newborns During the Postpartum Period (§§ 3511 — 3516) › § 3514 - Needed regulations

The Commissioner of Insurance is hereby directed to issue the regulations that are needed for the effective and immediate application of this chapter, using as a guide those presented and approved by the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians and the American Academy of Pediatricians.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 248, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148 - Mothers and their Newborns (§§ 3511 — 3518b) › Subchapter I - Act to Ensure Adequate Treatment for Mothers and their Newborns During the Postpartum Period (§§ 3511 — 3516) › § 3515 - Binder

The provisions of this chapter shall be extended to the contracts established between the Health Plan of the Government of Puerto Rico, created by virtue §§ 7001 et seq. of this title, and the insuring companies.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 248, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148 - Mothers and their Newborns (§§ 3511 — 3518b) › Subchapter I - Act to Ensure Adequate Treatment for Mothers and their Newborns During the Postpartum Period (§§ 3511 — 3516) › § 3516 - Penalty

Any person who violates a provision of this chapter, or who violates a rule, regulation or order of the Commissioner of Insurance, issued pursuant to this chapter, shall be penalized with a fine that shall not be less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000).
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 248, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148 - Mothers and their Newborns (§§ 3511 — 3518b) › Subchapter II - Feeding of Breast-Milk Supplements to Newborns (§§ 3517 — 3517b) › § 3517 - Definitions

For purposes of §§ 3517—3517b of this title, the following words and phrases shall have the meaning stated below:
(a) Maternity service centers. — Includes delivery rooms, obstetric preparation or recovery rooms, or any place where women are given treatment during the gestation, childbirth or post-partum process, and have the pertinent permits of the competent Commonwealth of Puerto Rico agencies.
(b) Care centers. — Every center for the care of infants between one (1) day and one (1) year of their birth.
(c) Gynecologists. — Any doctor of medicine authorized by pertinent legislation and regulations to practice gynecology or obstetrics in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(d) Mother’s milk substitutes. — Any food commercialized or otherwise introduced as a pertinent or complete substitute of breast milk, whether or not it is adequate for this purpose.
History —Mar. 13, 2004, No. 79, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148 - Mothers and their Newborns (§§ 3511 — 3518b) › Subchapter II - Feeding of Breast-Milk Supplements to Newborns (§§ 3517 — 3517b) › § 3517a - Regulations

(a) It is prohibited in the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, for maternity centers, care centers, or gynecologic, pediatric or obstetric offices that treat women who are six (6) months pregnant or over, or children less than one (1) year of age, to administer maternal milk substitutes, glucose serum, water, or any other food or drink other than maternal milk to newborn babies and infants, without prior written medical authorization, or the express written consent of the mother, father or tutor. A mother who wants maternal milk substitutes to be fed to the newborn may also state her consent in writing at any time after childbirth. In the event of a medical emergency in which there has been no express written consent authorization by the mother, the prior medical authorization may be replaced by a subsequent authorization that refers to the possibility of an emergency.
(b) Doctors shall not authorize the use of said foods or beverages unless it is recommended by the best medical practices and to benefit the health of the infant.
(c) The Department of Health shall prepare brochures that clearly describe the provisions of this act within ninety (90) days of its approval, and shall make them available in maternity wards, care centers and offices of gynecologists and obstetricians; the materials shall be placed in visible areas in maternity service centers to be seen by all visitors and patients who are waiting or resting. Maternity wards, care centers and offices of gynecologists and obstetricians shall place said informative materials within one hundred twenty (120) days after the effective date of this act.
History —Mar. 13, 2004, No. 79, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148 - Mothers and their Newborns (§§ 3511 — 3518b) › Subchapter II - Feeding of Breast-Milk Supplements to Newborns (§§ 3517 — 3517b) › § 3517b - Penalties

The Department of Health, through the Assistant Secretary of Health Facilities Certification and Regulation may impose fines of up to two thousand dollars ($2,000) for each act of noncompliance with §§ 3517—3517b of this title, following the applicable procedures set forth in the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, §§ 2101 et seq. of Title 3. Said fine shall never be less than five hundred dollars ($500).
History —Mar. 13, 2004, No. 79, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148 - Mothers and their Newborns (§§ 3511 — 3518b) › Subchapter III - Lactation; Discriminatory Practices Prohibited (§§ 3518 — 3518b) › § 3518a - Penalty

Any person who incurs in discriminatory practices against a woman due to the fact that she is breastfeeding her child in any of the places specified by §§ 3518—3518b of this title, or who prohibits, prevents or otherwise limits or inhibits a woman from breastfeeding her child in such places, shall incur in misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be subject to a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) at the discretion of the judge of the Court of First Instance of the General Court of Justice of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In addition, the judge may order restitution according to § 4689 of Title 33.
Furthermore, a cause for civil action for damages is hereby established against any natural or juridical person who interferes with the exercise of the rights recognized by §§ 3518—3518b of this title.
History —Apr. 23, 2004, No. 95, § 2; Sept. 19, 2007, No. 121, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148 - Mothers and their Newborns (§§ 3511 — 3518b) › Subchapter III - Lactation; Discriminatory Practices Prohibited (§§ 3518 — 3518b) › § 3518b - Complaint and summons

Form and procedure to file a complaint and summons. — The law enforcement officer who intervenes in any act in violation of §§ 3518—3518b of this title shall follow the following procedure:
(1) Sign the complaint, which shall summon the accused to appear before the corresponding court within a term of ten (10) days counting from the date of the complaint.
(2) Give a copy thereof to the defendant.
(3) Remit the original complaint to the Clerk of the Court of First Instance corresponding to the place the violation was committed.
(4) Remit a copy to the Police Headquarters of the district in which the violation was committed.
(5) Keep a copy thereof.
(6) For all legal purposes, the mediating law enforcement officer shall be deemed a court official.
History —Apr. 23, 2004, No. 95, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148A - Neonatal Hearing Screening Program (§§ 3521 — 3527) › § 3522 - Advisory Committee—Creation

The Neonatal Universal Hearing Screening Advisory Committee is hereby created under the jurisdiction of the Department:
(a) Composition. — The Committee shall be composed of an uneven number of at least nine (9) members, of the following professions and organizations appointed by the Governor:
(1) Health professionals. — Audiologist, speech-language pathologist, pediatrician/neonatologist, neonatal nurse.
(2) Consumers. — Adults with hearing impairment.
(3) Health care systems/Government. — A representative of the health insurance companies, the Secretary of the Department of Health, or his/her representative (government agency responsible for Part C of IDEA.)
(4) Organizations. — Community groups which represent persons with hearing impairment, professionals who render services to this population and parents of children with hearing loss, among others.
(b) Responsibilities and power. — The Committee shall advi[s]e the Secretary and the Department on matters related to the hearing screening tests, hearing evaluation diagnosis, intervention, treatment and follow-up care for newborns with hearing loss. The Committee shall act by a majority of votes and as required by the Administrative Act of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Secretary shall have the authority to adopt the regulations deemed necessary to comply with the purposes of this chapter.
The Committee shall meet as often as deemed necessary to obtain the pertinent information on hearing screening programs. The Committee shall also develop and make recommendations to implement Neonatal Universal Hearing Screening Programs efficiently and timely and to carry out the compilation of data that allows for the appropriate evaluation of the same.
History —Dec. 19, 2003, No. 311, § 3, eff. 30 days after Dec. 19, 2003.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148A - Neonatal Hearing Screening Program (§§ 3521 — 3527) › § 3523 - Department of Health—Powers and responsibilities

The Secretary of Health shall have the following powers and responsibilities regarding the implementation of the Neonatal Universal Hearing Screening Program:
(a) Establish protocols and/or procedures to implement the Neonatal Universal Hearing Screening Program in hospitals with maternity wards in Puerto Rico.
(b) Evaluate and supervise all Neonatal Universal Hearing Screening Programs in the hospitals of the Island.
(c) Provide training and shall certify the personnel that participates in the program.
(d) Be responsible for creating an efficient and reliable system for the compilation of data on the Neonatal Hearing Screening Programs.
(e) Supervise that hospitals with maternity wards in Puerto Rico carry out hearing screening tests to at least eighty percent (80%) of the infants born therein, following the procedures recommended by the Committee or its equivalent. When an infant is born in a place other than a hospital, the parents shall be advised on the benefits of hearing screening and shall be provided with the information needed to enable the administration of the hearing screening test to their child within its first (1) month of age.
(f) Provide hospitals with the necessary information to prepare educational material for families. The information shall be written in a simple language and shall include:
(1) A description of the hearing screening process.
(2) The probability of the child of suffering from hearing loss.
(3) The follow-up and community resources.
(g) The information shall also cover the educational aspect, including a description of normal hearing indicators and the normal speech and language development of a child. The educational aspects shall not substitute [for] hearing screening. The Committee shall establish the most adequate procedure for hearing screening of children born outside hospitals.
(h) Each hospital shall render a monthly report with required information to the Department of Health of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(i) The Neonatal Universal Hearing Screening Program shall render an annual report to the Advisory Committee.
(j) The audiologist coordinator of the Neonatal Universal Hearing Screening Program of the Department of Health shall ensure that the hospitals send the reports with the required information every month.
History —Dec. 19, 2003, No. 311, § 4, eff. 30 days after Dec. 19, 2003.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148A - Neonatal Hearing Screening Program (§§ 3521 — 3527) › § 3524 - Hearing screening tests

Hearing screening tests shall be conducted by using at least one of the following screening systems: Auditory Brainstem Response Test (ABR), whether for diagnosis or automated, and/or otoacoustic emissions (OAE). The most advanced or improved technology shall be incorporated [in] the Program, since it will result in a more reliable and efficient screening.
History —Dec. 19, 2003, No. 311, § 5, eff. 30 days after Dec. 19, 2003.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148A - Neonatal Hearing Screening Program (§§ 3521 — 3527) › § 3525 - Confidentiality

It is herein established that the data obtained from the tracking system and those directly obtained from the medical record of the newborn shall be for the confidential use of the Department of Health and the persons or public and private entities that the Department deems necessary to complete the tracking appropriately. The data shall be privileged information and may not be disclosed nor made public in such way that the identity of the patient is compromised. However, the anonymous statistical information of the tracking system shall be public information. It is recommended that the tracking system be integrated to any other efficient tracking system existing in the Island, such as screening for hereditary diseases.
History —Dec. 19, 2003, No. 311, § 6, eff. 30 days after Dec. 19, 2003.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148A - Neonatal Hearing Screening Program (§§ 3521 — 3527) › § 3526 - Health insurance coverage

(a) Except as provided hereinbelow, any health insurance policy which is available or may be available, renewed, extended, or modified in Puerto Rico by any health insurance company with benefits applicable within the health insurance policy, shall include coverage for initial hearing screening and for any other hearing evaluation within the follow-up care related to the hearing screening described in this chapter.
(b) Except as provided hereinbelow, if a health insurance company provides coverage or benefits to the residents of Puerto Rico, it shall be understood that the service shall be rendered in Puerto Rico, as provided by this chapter, even though the company is located outside of Puerto Rico.
(c) The benefits of the universal neonatal hearing screening test to newborn babies, as well as the follow-up care shall be subject to the same co-payment policies and co-insured provisions applicable to any other medical service. With the exception that the benefit of neonatal hearing screening shall be exempted from co-payments or provisions that limit the maximum amount to be paid by the insurer.
(d) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), this section shall not be construed as a requirement for the insurance company to cover the expenses of hearing screening to newborn babies whose parents are not residents of Puerto Rico, if the parents are employed outside Puerto Rico and their employer has health insurance included as one of the employee’s benefits.
(e) This chapter shall apply to all insurance companies, individual or of any other kind, contracts to subscribers and certificates of insurance companies issued to any group as policy, that are or will be available on or after this act takes effect.
History —Dec. 19, 2003, No. 311, § 7, eff. 30 days after Dec. 19, 2003.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148A - Neonatal Hearing Screening Program (§§ 3521 — 3527) › § 3527 - Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid)

(a) The government agency responsible for the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Health Insurance Card shall pay for the hearing screening of the newborn, if eligible for the Medical Assistance Program, as determined by applicable state and federal laws.
(b) The Governor shall ensure that any service-providing contract under the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Health Insurance Card through other insurers includes neonatal hearing screening services and diagnostic hearing evaluations.
History —Dec. 19, 2003, No. 311, § 8, eff. 30 days after Dec. 19, 2003.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148B - Birth Defect Monitoring System (§§ 3531 — 3538) › § 3531 - Definitions

For purposes of the present chapter, the terms stated below shall have the following meanings:
(a) Case. — Means any pregnancy result up to an infant of or under the age of six (6) that has been diagnosed to have a birth defect.
(b) Event. — Any product of a pregnancy, to be understood as a live birth, stillbirth, miscarriage, therapeutic abortion or termination.
(c) Teratogens. — Substances that are toxic and affect the embryo and the fetus in its development.
(d) Pregnancy result. — It is defined as any product of a pregnancy, to be understood as live birth, stillbirth, miscarriage, therapeutic abortion, fetal death and termination.
(e) Department. — Means the Department of Health of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(f) System. — Refers to the Puerto Rico Birth Defect Monitoring System and to the scientific and systemic gathering of cases in Puerto Rico.
(g) Birth defect. — Shall be understood to be that physical abnormality, structural in nature, present in a human embryo, fetus, infant or child of or under the age of six (6), resulting from one (1) or more genetic or environmental causes, or both; these must be present at birth and be manifest and capable of being diagnosed prenatally through diagnostic tests.
(h) Health professionals. — Those professionals or persons whose profession or tasks are related in any way to the preservation of the health of another person and whose performance is supported by certain minimum formal education requirements and a Commonwealth license or certification that [accredits] their capability to perform such tasks.
(i) Health services and diagnostic facilities. — The term includes: general or specialized hospitals; clinics licensed by the Department of Health; public or private schools of medicine; clinical or pathologic laboratories, public agencies or private institutions offering any kind of services to children with birth defects; and any other medical or health institutions or establishments which treat or diagnose a birth defect, or which receive useful information for the identification of birth defects in the population of Puerto Rico.
(j) Designated representative. — Any person who represents a hospital, agency, clinical laboratory, genetics laboratory or medical facility, designated to maintain the birth defect registry.
(k) Alpha-fetoprotein. — Protein produced by the fetus which goes through the placenta and reaches the mother’s circulatory system. The levels of this protein in maternal serum are used as a screening test to detect some birth defects.
(l) Corionic Villus Sample (CVS). — This test is useful in diagnosing of birth defects such as trisomies.
(m) Amniocentesis. — This test corroborates chromosomal and neural tube problems in the fetus.
(n) Ultrasonogram. — A high-resolution radiological study that allows for the detection of traits in the fetus which are associated with birth defects.
History —Sept. 16, 2004, No. 351, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148B - Birth Defect Monitoring System (§§ 3531 — 3538) › § 3532 - General objectives

It is the intent of this legislation to promote the following objectives:
(a) To provide information on the incidence, prevalence and trends of birth defects.
(b) To provide information as to the possible causes of birth defects.
(c) To develop prevention strategies to reduce the incidence of birth defects.
(d) To provide information as to the morbidity and death rates resulting from birth defects.
(e) To contribute so that persons identified with birth defects may have early access to available services.
(f) To provide information on geographic, temporal or occupational associations arising from research on exposure to environmental risks and other causes.
(g) To publish annually the results of research studies for the benefit of public health and make them available to scientists and physicians.
(h) To maintain a centralized birth defect registry.
(i) To develop and maintain collaboration agreements with the public agency, private institution and academic sectors that could be involved in providing services to the affected population and in the procedures for gathering, analyzing and disseminating Birth Defect Monitoring System data.
History —Sept. 16, 2004, No. 351, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148B - Birth Defect Monitoring System (§§ 3531 — 3538) › § 3534 - Advisory Committee

The Birth Defect Monitoring System attached to the Department of Health shall have a scientific advisory committee to assist in the discharge of the duties contracted by virtue of this chapter or accordant with the implementation thereof.
(a) The Secretary of Health shall be the appointing authority that shall designate the members who shall constitute the advisory committee.
(b) The Advisory Committee shall be composed of seven persons representing different disciplines, including but not limited to: three specialists in the area of birth defects (physicians, nurses, genetic counselors specialized in: genetics, neonatology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and others); two professionals related to public health (epidemiologists, biostatisticians, public health educators, hospital administrators, or others); one member of the community (parent, patient or consumer of related health services); and the coordinator or representative of the Monitoring System.
History —Sept. 16, 2004, No. 351, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148B - Birth Defect Monitoring System (§§ 3531 — 3538) › § 3536 - Persons authorized to disclose information and referrals

(a) The personnel of the Monitoring System may use information to notify parents of available medical care and other services for the benefit of the patient or his/her family and to refer the patient to early intervention services. Any disclosure of information for other purposes must have the consent of the parent or guardian.
(b) The same applies to the medical personnel, the Commonwealth agencies and all other public officials who discharge duties provided for in this chapter, pursuant to the provisions of § 3535 of this title and without overextending themselves as to their functions and obligations.
History —Sept. 16, 2004, No. 351, § 8.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148B - Birth Defect Monitoring System (§§ 3531 — 3538) › § 3537 - Penalty

Any individual or entity who uses Register information in a manner contrary to that directed by this chapter shall be subject to a civil fine imposed by the Department, which shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor be of less than three hundred dollars ($300).
History —Sept. 16, 2004, No. 351, § 9.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 148B - Birth Defect Monitoring System (§§ 3531 — 3538) › § 3538 - Epidemiological studies and research

The Department may use the information gathered to conduct studies under the following parameters:
(a) Conducting epidemiological or toxicological studies on specific birth defect cases shall be promoted in order to determine the nature and magnitude of the condition or the known or suspected causes and to formulate and evaluate public health control and protection measures. Any person who during the course of research offers to the Department, under this chapter and confidentially, any medical, demographic, epidemiological, toxicological or environmental information shall not be suable [sic] for damages.
(b) Department of Health research shall include geographical areas, time of occurrence, occupational association, and research on exposure to environmental factors and other causes.
History —Sept. 16, 2004, No. 351, § 10.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter I - Generally (§§ 3541-3545 — 3545) › §§ 3541–3545 - Repealed. Act Sept. 4, 2012, No. 220, § 28, eff. Sept. 4, 2012

History —Apr. 23, 2004, No. 103, § 3; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter I - Generally (§§ 3541-3545 — 3545) › § 3542 - Bill of Rights [Repealed]

History —Apr. 23, 2004, No. 103, § 4; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter I - Generally (§§ 3541-3545 — 3545) › § 3543 - Mechanisms to provide assistance [Repealed]

History —Apr. 23, 2004, No. 103, § 5; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter I - Generally (§§ 3541-3545 — 3545) › § 3544 - Register [Repealed]

History —Apr. 23, 2004, No. 103, § 6; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter I - Generally (§§ 3541-3545 — 3545) › § 3545 - Publication [Repealed]

History —Apr. 23, 2004, No. 103, § 7; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter II - Interagency Committee (§§ 3551-3558 — 3558) › §§ 3551–3558 - Repealed. Act Sept. 4, 2012, No. 220, § 27, eff. Sept. 4, 2012

History —Dec. 28, 2003, No. 318, § 2; July 19, 2006, No. 122, § 1; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter II - Interagency Committee (§§ 3551-3558 — 3558) › § 3552 - Creation [Repealed]

History —Dec. 28, 2003, No. 318, § 3; July 19, 2006, No. 122, § 2; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter II - Interagency Committee (§§ 3551-3558 — 3558) › § 3553 - Public policy [Repealed]

History —Dec. 28, 2003, No. 318, § 4; July 19, 2006, No. 122, § 3; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter II - Interagency Committee (§§ 3551-3558 — 3558) › § 3554 - Functions and duties [Repealed]

History —Dec. 28, 2003, No. 318, § 5; July 19, 2006, No. 122, § 4; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter II - Interagency Committee (§§ 3551-3558 — 3558) › § 3555 - Meetings and quorum [Repealed]

History —Dec. 28, 2003, No. 318, § 6; July 19, 2006, No. 122, § 5; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter II - Interagency Committee (§§ 3551-3558 — 3558) › § 3556 - Advisory Group of the Interagency Committee [Repealed]

History —Dec. 28, 2003, No. 318, § 7; July 19, 2006, No. 122, § 6; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter II - Interagency Committee (§§ 3551-3558 — 3558) › § 3557 - Collaboration [Repealed]

History —Dec. 28, 2003, No. 318, § 8; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149 - Autism (§§ 3541-3545 — 3558) › Subchapter II - Interagency Committee (§§ 3551-3558 — 3558) › § 3558 - Budget [Repealed]

History —Dec. 28, 2003, No. 318, § 9; July 19, 2006, No. 122, § 7; Repealed. Act.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 149A - BIDA Act (§§ 3561 — 3585) › § 3563 - Early detection and diagnosis

Every healthcare provider that offers services to the pediatrics population, in general, shall use the Guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics to identify potential cases that may eventually be confirmed as autism spectrum disorder. In the case of professionals who offer psychological and psychiatric- related services to the autism spectrum disorder population, said providers shall use the diagnostic criteria established in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Professionals shall use instruments to carry out assessment, evaluation, and diagnostic procedures applicable to the autism spectrum disorder population.
Professionals shall be required to implement an evaluation protocol in accordance with the discipline and guidelines prescribed therefor by the Department of Health, which shall include, at least, the following requirements in medical and social areas:
(a) Medical and family record.
(b) Interdisciplinary team evaluation.
Case managers of pediatrics centers shall be responsible for making referrals to qualified medical specialists, as provided by the interdisciplinary team of the pediatrics center, so that persons with an autism spectrum disorder may receive complete services, according to the development stage, provided by specialists in the areas where impairment or delay is suspected for the purpose of complying with the public policy set forth in this chapter.
The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) of the World Health Organization, among other instruments, shall be used for functional status assessment of persons with an autism spectrum disorder. The ICF is used for goal setting and treatment planning and monitoring, as well as outcome measurement. It is a classification of health and health-related domains. These domains are classified, according to a biological, individual, and social perspective, into two components: body functions and body structures, and activities and participation. The ICF also takes into account environmental factors.
History —Sep. 4, 2012, No. 220, § 5.