2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWO - Legislature (§§ 1 — 1015) › Chapter 39 - Legislative Donations (§§ 901 — 920) › § 914 - Appropriation of public funds for national and international conventions in Puerto Rico

Public funds may be appropriated to entities to promote, organize and hold national and/or international conventions, assemblies or congresses in Puerto Rico. Such appropriations shall be subject to the return of any unused portion or all of the authorized public funds by the recipient agency to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, within sixty (60) days following the date the national and/or international convention, assembly or congress is concluded. For the purposes of this section, “national” means that represents or has the participation of representatives of the United States of America, its 50 states and/or its territories; “international” means that represents or has the participation of any sovereign nation other than the United States of America.
Every entity that requests a donation for a convention, assembly or congress shall be subject to the requirements established in § 905 of this title, as well as to all other provisions thereof, insofar as they are not incompatible with the provisions of this section. The entity shall file the corresponding application document both in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate and in the Office of the Clerk of the House no later than one (1) year prior to the convention, assembly or congress in question, whether national and/or international. Such application shall be filed in the original with two (2) copies and shall include the following:
(a) An itemized report on the total cost of the national and/or international convention, congress or assembly with a general description of the different activities to be carried out and estimated number of foreigners and Puerto Ricans that will attend the event.
(b) The hotel, center, rooms or structures where the main activities of the convention, assembly or congress will be held.
(c) The total number of rooms needed for the lodging of visitors not from Puerto Rico and evidence of the commitment of the hotel that the rooms are going to be available on the dates the convention, assembly or congress will be held.
(d) The fees, enrollment, registration cost or any other charge that shall be paid by each person who attends the convention, assembly or congress.
(e) The dates on which the organization or promotion stages will be developed and completed.
(f) A list by position, employment or function of the personnel that will work in the organization and holding of the convention, assembly or congress.
(g) The financial resources the entity will provide from its own funds, work or operations, to cover the expenses of the international convention, assembly or congress.
(h) The donations, grants, contributions or assistance in cash, goods or services or of any other nature the entity will receive from other agencies or municipalities.
(i) An explanation of how the results of the activity will be evaluated in terms of its benefits or advantage for the tourist industry and Puerto Rico’s national and/or international image.
(j) A letter of endorsement from the Puerto Rico Tourism Company stating that the activity meets the tourism public policy.
(k) A letter of commitment from the Convention Bureau of San Juan, Puerto Rico, to sponsor and collaborate in the activity.
Every appropriation made for the holding of a national and/or international convention, assembly or congress shall be granted under the custody of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, which shall make the donation available to the entity in question in stages, withholding not less than ten percent (10%) thereof, until the convention, assembly or congress has concluded and it receives, to its complete satisfaction, the final fiscal report on the activity.
History —Dec. 29, 1995, No. 258, § 15; Aug. 30, 2000, No. 244, § 1.