2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 42 - Regulatory Board of Public Relations Agents of Puerto Rico (§§ 855 — 864) › § 855 - Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meaning stated below:
(a) Good reputation. — The absence of a criminal or disreputable record, and having a good reputation within the community.
(b) Certification. — Shall mean the process of evaluation of the Regulatory Board of Public Relations Agents of Puerto Rico.
(c) State. — Shall mean any of the states of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
(d) Firm. — Shall mean any partnership, corporation or judicial entity engaged in rendering public relations services.
(e) Board. — Shall mean the Regulatory Board of Public Relations Agents of Puerto Rico attached to the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(f) License. — Shall mean the document duly issued by the Board, which certifies that the person on whose behalf it has been issued is a professional authorized to practice the corresponding discipline, pursuant to the requirements established by this chapter.
(g) Public relations practice. — Shall mean the practice or rendering of services by a person or firm which employs public relations skills. Their main objective is to strengthen the bonds with the different audiences by listening, informing and persuading them to attain their consensus, loyalty, and support in present and future actions.
(h) Rule. — Shall mean any norm or regulations adopted by the Board.
(i) Public relations. — Shall mean:
(1) Foresee, analyze and interpret the public opinion, attitudes and controversies that could impact, whether positively or negatively, the operations and plans of an organization or individual.
(2) Advise all managerial levels of the organization with respect to decisions on the established policy, courses of action, and communication, taking into account their different audiences and the social organization or responsibilities of citizens.
(3) Investigate, plan, implement and evaluate action and communication programs to achieve the acceptance of audiences and to successfully achieve the goals of the organization or individual.
(4) Plan and implement the efforts of the organization in order to propose or modify the public policy.
(j) Public relations agent. — Shall mean:
(1) A person who has obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Relations from an institution accredited by the Puerto Rico Council on Higher Education or the Middle State Association of Colleges and Universities or its equivalent; or
(2) a person who has obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations from an institution accredited by the Puerto Rico Council on Higher Education or the Middle State Association of Colleges and Universities or its equivalent, or
(3) a person who has obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications with a Minor in Public Relations from an institution accredited by the Puerto Rico Council on Higher Education or the Middle State Association of Colleges and Universities or its equivalent and a minimum two (2) -year experience in no less than two (2) of the following areas:
(A) Public relations advising and consulting.
(B) Designing and planning public relations programs or campaigns, execution of public relations programs or campaigns or analysis and evaluation of audience or market behavior research, as well as public opinion research.
(C) Effective communication management in the event of a crisis or in public affairs.
(D) Liaison with the communications media so as to oversee the correct and assertive communication of the information in favor of the public interest.
(4) A person that has been admitted by the Board as part of the validation clause.
History —Aug. 8, 2008, No. 204, § 2.