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 134 - Children’s Trust Act (§§ 3121 — 3139a) › § 3139a - Exclusion

The act which creates the Children’s Trust shall be excluded from the provisions of §§ 2101 et seq. of Title 3, known as the “Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Uniform Administrative Procedures Act”.
History —July 30, 1999, No. 173, added as § 22 on Dec. 28, 2000, No. 450, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 134A - Ambulance Service (§ 3140) › § 3140 - Ambulance service

(a) To require that all public and private hospitals in Puerto Rico ensure that ambulance services are available at all times. The hospitals are under the obligation of rendering said services twenty-four (24) hours a day.
(b) The Secretary of Health shall ensure strict compliance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Secretary of Health is hereby empowered to impose administrative fines of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000), nor of more [than] three thousand dollars ($3,000) for any violation of the provisions of this section.
(d) Secretary of Health shall set up the necessary coordination with the Public Service Commission, the entity which regulates the establishment and operation of ambulance services in Puerto Rico.
History —Aug. 15, 1999, No. 240, § 1—4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 135 - Hereditary Diseases (§§ 3151 — 3158) › § 3151 - Program for the Detection, Diagnosis and Treatment of Hereditary Diseases—Creation

A Program for the Detection, Diagnosis and Treatment of Hereditary Diseases is hereby created in the Department of Health, which shall be organized and shall have the duties provided hereinafter in this chapter.
History —July 2, 1987, No. 84, p. 318, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 135 - Hereditary Diseases (§§ 3151 — 3158) › § 3152 - Program for the Detection, Diagnosis and Treatment of Hereditary Diseases—Compulsory detection tests; exemptions

As of the effective date of the regulations of the Program established in § 3155 of this title, blood samples shall be taken from every newborn in Puerto Rico to promptly detect the presence of any of the hereditary diseases included in said regulations.
Those citizens that, due to their religious convictions or beliefs, refuse to undergo or to allow their children, wards or dependents to submit to this type of test for the detection and diagnosis of hereditary diseases must explain it in writing, requesting that they be relieved from the responsibility imposed by this chapter.
History —July 2, 1987, No. 84, p. 318, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 135 - Hereditary Diseases (§§ 3151 — 3158) › § 3153 - Program for the Detection, Diagnosis and Treatment of Hereditary Diseases—Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms or phrases shall have the meaning indicated hereinbelow:
(a) Falciform anemia. — Means the condition caused by the inheriting of falciform hemoglobin or other abnormal hemoglobin, from both parents.
(b) Council. — Means the Puerto Rico Hereditary Disease Council.
(c) Department. — Means the Department of Health of Puerto Rico.
(d) Hereditary disease. — Means any disease transmitted through the genetic substance known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
(e) Hereditary metabolic diseases. — Means the metabolic disorders of various substances that are essential to human development.
(f) Phenylalanine. — Means the amino acid which is essential for human growth and development.
(g) Phenylketonuria. — Means the inherited phenylalanine metabolic disorder.
(h) Hemophilia. — Means the hereditary hemorrhagic disorder caused by the deficiency of a coagulation factor.
(i) Congenital hypothyroidism. — Means the condition caused by a deficiency of thyroxine.
(j) Laboratory tests. — Means the procedures that are capable of detecting the normal or abnormal values of substances that characterize a specific condition, such as: congenital hypothyroidism, falciform anemia, hemophilia, phenylketonuria and other metabolic diseases.
(k) Program. — Means the Program for the Detection and Diagnosis of Hereditary Diseases of Puerto Rico.
(l) Regulations. — Means the regulations of the Hereditary Diseases Program of Puerto Rico.
(m) Secretary. — Means the Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico.
(n) Thyroxine. — Means the hormone produced by the thyroid gland, which is necessary for human growth and development.
History —July 2, 1987, No. 84, p. 318, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 135 - Hereditary Diseases (§§ 3151 — 3158) › § 3154 - Hereditary Disease Council—Creation

The Hereditary Disease Council of Puerto Rico is hereby created to advise the Secretary of Health, and which shall be composed of seven (7) members, four (4) of which shall be physicians duly authorized to practice their profession in Puerto Rico, one (1) shall represent the Secretary of the Department of Health, one (1) shall represent the consumers of medical services and one (1) shall be connected with the Education Program for health professionals. The members shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice of the Secretary of Health, for a term of five (5) years each, and shall hold office until their successors are appointed and take office.
The initial appointments shall be in the following manner: three (3) for a five- (5) year term; two (2) for a four- (4) year term, and two (2) for a two- (2) year term.
No member of the Council shall be appointed for more than two (2) consecutive terms. The time during which any member continues to hold office after the expiration of the term of his appointment shall be deemed as part of the period corresponding to his successor, so that, with respect to time, the subsequent appointments will continue the the same relationship existing when the first were made.
(a) Vacancy. — Any vacancy that arises among the members of the Council shall be filled for the unexpired term of the member who causes it.
(b) Separation from office. — The Governor may separate any member of the Council from office for inability to carry out his office, manifest incompetence in the performance of his duties, abandonment of his functions, misconduct or repeated absences from the Council meetings without a justified excuse.
(c) The Council shall adopt bylaws for its internal operations, which shall establish the adequate procedure for considering matters within its jurisdiction and for the election of the President, Vice-President and Recording Secretary, as well as of any other official it deems necessary.
(d) The Council shall meet at least twice (2) a year and may hold any special meetings deemed necessary for the full performance of its functions, upon due summons to such effects. Four (4) members of the Council shall constitute a quorum and all matters must be resolved by a majority vote of its members.
(e) The members of the Council shall receive per diems of fifty dollars ($50) for each day they attend meetings or in which they perform other official duties of their office. They shall also be entitled to reimbursement of the travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties pursuant to the regulations established by the Secretary of the Treasury to such effects.
(f) The Secretary of Health shall be responsible for providing the facilities, equipment and clerical personnel needed for the performance of the duties of the Council.
History —July 2, 1987, No. 84, p. 318, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 135 - Hereditary Diseases (§§ 3151 — 3158) › § 3155 - Hereditary Disease Council—Duties and powers

The Council shall have the following duties and powers among any others provided in this chapter or inherent to its faculties and responsibilities:
(1) To determine the hereditary conditions for which laboratory or medical tests shall be required for the purpose of detecting and diagnosing the presence of any hereditary condition or disease.
(2) To specify the laboratory or medical tests to be required, the methods to be used in such tests, and the quality control methods to be applied.
(3) In coordination with the Secretary, to adopt the Program’s regulations, which shall include the hereditary conditions for which laboratory or medical tests shall be required, the type of tests to be performed and all the quality-control measures therefor. Said regulations shall be adopted within sixty (60) days following the date of the first Council meeting.
Prior to adopting the regulations of the Program, the Council shall hold public hearings to listen to the opinions and recommendations of health professionals and the community in general. Such public hearings shall be published in two (2) newspapers of general circulation no less than one (1) week prior to the date the same shall be held.
The Program’s regulations shall not take effect until the same have been filed at the Department of State, and thirty (30) days have elapsed from the date of notice of their approval, in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
(4) To examine, from time to time, the existing medical information to determine the hereditary conditions that should be included in the Program’s regulations.
(5) To periodically evaluate the effectiveness of the program, to check its effectiveness (cost-benefit), and to submit the corresponding reports to the Secretary of Health and to the Governor of Puerto Rico.
(6) To advise the Secretary of Health on the content, measures and other actions that should be adopted to orient the community, ethically and professionally, on the importance and need of early detection, and efficient control of hereditary diseases.
History —July 2, 1987, No. 84, p. 318, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 135 - Hereditary Diseases (§§ 3151 — 3158) › § 3156 - Responsibility; regulations

Any person in charge of a public or private health facility or any other entity where a birth takes place, or the physician in charge of a newborn, shall make the pertinent arrangements to take a blood sample from the newborn child within the term established in the Program’s regulations for the purpose of detecting those hereditary conditions included in said regulations by the Council.
The Department of Health shall promulgate whatever other rules and regulations that are compatible with this chapter and that are necessary to take blood samples from the newborn, or from other groups or individuals of other ages required by regulations, and their delivery to the laboratory, the handling of the results of those tests and the followup of positive cases for their adequate treatment and to the offering of genetic orientation in an ethical and professional manner.
The norms and regulations adopted under this chapter shall contain provisions to guarantee the confidentiality of the results of the laboratory or medical tests conducted and the privacy of the citizens subjected thereto.
History —July 2, 1987, No. 84, p. 318, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 135 - Hereditary Diseases (§§ 3151 — 3158) › § 3157 - Donations

The Secretary of Health is hereby empowered to accept donations from any natural or juridical person and from any department, agency, instrumentality, public corporation or subsidiary thereof, and from the municipalities of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or of the United States of America, to be used in the prevention, treatment, education research and investigations or for purposes related to the conditions of hereditary diseases. The moneys thus obtained shall be deposited in the Health Fund created by Act No. 26 of November 13, 1975, and shall be used exclusively for the purposes provided in this section.
History —July 2, 1987, No. 84, p. 318, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 135 - Hereditary Diseases (§§ 3151 — 3158) › § 3158 - Penalties

Any person who violates the provisions of this chapter, or the regulations adopted by virtue thereof, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment for a term not to exceed six (6) months or a fine which shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500), or both penalties at the discretion of the court.
History —July 2, 1987, No. 84, p. 318, § 8.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 137 - Premature Thelarche and Precocious Sexual Development Registry (§§ 3159 — 3159k) › § 3159 - Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meaning expressed hereinafter:
(a) Premature thelarche. — An advanced and incomplete form of sexual development characterized by the presence of mammary tissue in girls who are younger than eight (8) years of age in the absence of other sexual development characteristics.
(b) Precocious sexual development. — The presence of sexual characteristics normally associated with puberty occurring before the age of eight (8) years in females and nine (9) years in males. This precocious sexual development may be complete or incomplete, and may manifest itself by the premature development of mammary tissue (thelarche), sexual hair (pubic and axillary), apocrine secretion (sweat with an offensive odor), vaginal bleeding or genital growth. In some cases these characteristics, particularly those with a complete precocious sexual development, are accompanied by accelerated growth and osseous maturity and biochemical and hormonal changes which normally accompany puberty.
(c) Department. — Department of Health of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(d) Assistant Secretariat. — The Assistant Secretariat for Preventive Medicine and Family Health of the Department of Health.
(e) Secretary. — The Secretary of the Department of Health of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
History —July 22, 1988, No. 137, p. 573, § 1, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 137 - Premature Thelarche and Precocious Sexual Development Registry (§§ 3159 — 3159k) › § 3159a - Report—By pediatrician, endocrinologist or physician

Any pediatrician, endocrinologist or physician who practices his/her profession in Puerto Rico and who diagnoses or has knowledge of any case of premature thelarche or precocious sexual development must inform it to the Assistant Secretariat, in writing, within five (5) working days following the date on which he learned of the case.
History —July 22, 1988, No. 137, p. 573, § 2, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 137 - Premature Thelarche and Precocious Sexual Development Registry (§§ 3159 — 3159k) › § 3159b - Report—By person in charge of laboratory

Any person in charge of a public or private laboratory, including X-ray and sonogram laboratories or any other facility where tests are made to confirm a diagnosis of premature thelarche or precocious sexual development, or where samples of tissue, urine, blood or other biological specimens are processed to determine hormonal contents or effects, must inform it to the Assistant Secretariat, in writing, within five (5) working days from the date of the positive results of these tests, and will make them available upon request.
History —July 22, 1988, No. 137, p. 573, § 3, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 137 - Premature Thelarche and Precocious Sexual Development Registry (§§ 3159 — 3159k) › § 3159c - Report—Relief from liability

The physician as well as the person in charge of a laboratory or other facility will be relieved of civil liability upon sending the confidential information requested in this chapter to the Assistant Secretariat.
History —July 22, 1988, No. 137, p. 573, § 4, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 137 - Premature Thelarche and Precocious Sexual Development Registry (§§ 3159 — 3159k) › § 3159d - Report—Forms; content

The reports will be notified to the Department on specially designed forms and will include the information needed for the study and follow up of these cases.
History —July 22, 1988, No. 137, p. 573, § 5, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 137 - Premature Thelarche and Precocious Sexual Development Registry (§§ 3159 — 3159k) › § 3159e - Report—Confidentiality; permissible uses

The reports of cases notified to the Department by virtue of this chapter shall be confidential. Provided, That as long as the patient’s identity is not revealed, they may be used in epidemiological studies, statistical studies, scientific research and for educational purposes.
History —July 22, 1988, No. 137, p. 573, § 6, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 137 - Premature Thelarche and Precocious Sexual Development Registry (§§ 3159 — 3159k) › § 3159f - Assistant Secretariat—Powers

The Assistant Secretariat will be charged with establishing and continuing the registration of premature thelarche and precocious sexual development cases with the human and financial resources appropriated for these purposes. The Assistant Secretariat may request and obtain from the pediatricians, endocrinologists, physicians, laboratories or public or private facilities, any pertinent information related to the follow-up of these cases.
History —July 22, 1988, No. 137, p. 573, § 7, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 137 - Premature Thelarche and Precocious Sexual Development Registry (§§ 3159 — 3159k) › § 3159g - Assistant Secretariat—Personnel

The Assistant Secretariat shall have the qualified personnel to search for thelarche and premature sexual development cases in order to visit and obtain information about these cases at physician’s offices and laboratories, as provided in §§ 3159a and 3159b of this title.
History —July 22, 1988, No. 137, p. 573, § 8, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 137 - Premature Thelarche and Precocious Sexual Development Registry (§§ 3159 — 3159k) › § 3159h - Assistant Secretariat—Monthly reports

The Assistant Secretariat will render monthly reports to the Secretary of the cases of premature thelarche and precocious sexual development registered.
History —July 22, 1988, No. 137, p. 573, § 9, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 137 - Premature Thelarche and Precocious Sexual Development Registry (§§ 3159 — 3159k) › § 3159i - Regulations

The Secretary shall establish those rules and regulations that he/she deems are needed to implement this chapter.
History —July 22, 1988, No. 137, p. 573, § 10, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 137 - Premature Thelarche and Precocious Sexual Development Registry (§§ 3159 — 3159k) › § 3159j - Penalties

Any person who violates the provisions of this chapter or its regulations shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or a fine that shall not exceed five hundred dollar ($500)s, or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
History —July 22, 1988, No. 137, p. 573, § 11, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 137 - Premature Thelarche and Precocious Sexual Development Registry (§§ 3159 — 3159k) › § 3159k - Donations

The Secretary may accept donations to be used for the prevention, treatment, education, studies and research or purposes germane to the cases of premature thelarche and precocious sexual development. The monies thus obtained shall be deposited in the Health Fund created by Act No. 26 of November 13, 1975, and shall be used exclusively as provided by this section.
History —July 22, 1988, No. 137, p. 573, § 12, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 138 - Action Committee for the Prevention of Infant Mortality (§§ 3171 — 3172) › § 3171 - Creation

(a) The Action Committee for the Prevention of Infant Mortality (hereinafter Committee) is hereby created, under the Department of Health, in order to enact the pubic policy geared to reduce the infant mortality rate to 9.0 for each one thousand (1,000) births.
(b) The Committee shall be composed by:
(1) A representative of the Secretary of the Department of Health, to be appointed by said official. The representative designated by the Department of Health shall serve as Coordinator of the Committee.
(2) A representative of the Department of the Family, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Department of the Family.
(3) A demographer and a statistical technician who are regular employees of the Department of Health, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health.
(4) A pediatrician, who specializes in neonatology, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health.
(5) The Director of the W.I.C. Program.
(6) A representative of the Department of Education who is a regular employee of said agency, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Education.
(7) A representative of the Health Insurance Administration (ASSES, for its Spanish acronym), to be appointed by the Administrator of ASSES.
(8) A forensic pathologist, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health.
(9) A nutritionist, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health.
History —Aug. 11, 1997, No. 70, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 138 - Action Committee for the Prevention of Infant Mortality (§§ 3171 — 3172) › § 3172 - Duties and obligations

(a) The Committee shall meet at least once each month. The Coordinator shall have the responsibility of summoning the members of the Committee to participate in said meetings.
(b) Once constituted, the Committee shall determine which factors are affecting the infant mortality rate.
(c) Based on the input obtained in the preliminary stage of the research, the Committee shall prepare an “Action Plan for the Reduction of the Infant Mortality Rate” before the end of the 1997 calendar year. However, said Committee shall be permanent in nature in order to take any necessary action for the implementation of the “Action Plan for the Reduction of the Infant Mortality Rate.
(d) The Committee shall have the responsibility of remitting a copy of the Action Plan it adopts, to the Governor and the Legislature of Puerto Rico, and shall also implement it.
History —Aug. 11, 1997, No. 70, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 139 - Health Information System Coordinating Committee (§§ 3201 — 3205) › § 3201 - Creation

A Health Information System Coordinating Committee is hereby created, attached to the Department of Health of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, which shall be referred to in this chapter as the “Committee”.
The Committee shall be composed of eleven (11) members, who are: the Secretary of Health, who shall be its Chairman; the President of the General Health Council; the Dean of the Medical Sciences Campus of Puerto Rico; the Secretary of Consumer Affairs; the Insurance Commissioner; one (1) representative of the entities or organizations that group the Health Services Insurers; the President of the Hospitals Association of Puerto Rico; one (1) representative of the Department of Health of the municipality of San Juan; the Chairman of the Planning Board, and two (2) additional members representing the consumer health services organizations. These members shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice of the Secretary of Health, for a term of five (5) years each and shall remain in office until their successors are appointed and take office.
The members of the Committee may appoint their alternate representatives who shall substitute for them when they cannot attend a meeting. The alternate members must have sufficient authority so that their participation can ensure the continuity and effectiveness of the Committee’s duties.
The members of the Committee shall receive no compensation for their services as such. Those members of the Committee who are not public employees shall be entitled to receive a $50 per diem for each day of meeting to which they attend or in which they engage in other official duties according to the regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury to such effects.
History —July 21, 1988, No. 120, p. 508, § 1, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 139 - Health Information System Coordinating Committee (§§ 3201 — 3205) › § 3202 - Functions

The Committee shall act as the central body responsible for coordinating the bodies participating in the Health Information System to ensure that an integrated and systematic focus is given to the planning, design and implementation process of their respective information systems. The operation of the Health Information System shall be responsible for each of the participating bodies therein.
For the purposes of making this chapter feasible and to better use the resources invested in the Health Information System, the Committee shall carry out the following duties:
(a) Identify, study and evaluate all the problems related to the need, production, distribution, handling and use of health information.
(b) Promote and stimulate the public agencies, instrumentalities and corporations, and private entities participating in the Health Information System to perform the evaluation of their respective Information Systems and to adopt measures directed towards improving the System.
(c) Prepare a master plan for the integral design of the Health Information System, in coordination with the bodies participating in said System and to follow up the individual efforts of those bodies in the implementation of the plan.
(d) Determine the contents and periodicity, while fixing responsibilities for the publication of reports regarding health services intended for the consumer. Said reports shall serve as a tool to guide the consumer in the following areas:
(1) Charges for hospital and out-patient services.
(2) The premiums of medical plans and health services insurance compared to the benefits that each insurance offers.
(3) All changes that arise in the amount of the health services insurance premiums.
(4) Any other relevant health data for the low-income population.
(e) Promote the continuing training of the personnel of the bodies participating in the System.
(f) Evaluate the development of new techniques and statistical procedures applied in other countries, in view of promoting their adoption in Puerto Rico.
(g) Study, evaluate and develop a uniform data coding system that will allow the participating bodies to interpret the reports, and maintain a reciprocal electronic information system.
History —July 21, 1988, No. 120, p. 508, § 2, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 139 - Health Information System Coordinating Committee (§§ 3201 — 3205) › § 3203 - Powers

The Committee shall have the following powers in addition to any others provided in this chapter:
(a) Appoint working groups in order to conduct studies and submit recommendations on various aspects of health services information.
(b) Appoint other committees as it deems it necessary, to attain the ends and purposes of this chapter and of the applicable federal laws.
(c) Use all available resources in the bodies participating in the Health Information System, and as offices, personnel, equipment, supplies and other facilities, which public agencies and corporations are hereby authorized to place said offices, personnel, equipment, supplies and other facilities at the disposal of the Committee. The use of resources from other government bodies must be with the agreement of the directing officials thereof and as allowed by the laws in force.
(d) Appoint an Executive Director and all personnel needed to manage and execute the Health Information System and delegate to him those duties and faculties it deems convenient, as well as to fix the corresponding remuneration or compensation for the services rendered. Said personnel shall be subject to the provisions of Act No. 5 of October 14, 1975, known as the “Public Service Personnel Act of Puerto Rico”.
The Executive Director shall be a professional with extensive knowledge of the health system of Puerto Rico and of the concepts and basic principles that guide the design, organization and operation of the Health Information System at the macro as well as the micro level. Likewise, he must be a professional of recognized competence in the planning and administration of complex social bodies or systems.
(e) Adopt, promulgate and amend the rules and regulations needed to implement this chapter and for the handling of its affairs.
(f) Contract technical services to conduct the needed studies and investigations on the design and programming of the Health Information System.
(g) Coordinate and promote the exchange of highly specialized personnel among the bodies of the System.
History —July 21, 1988, No. 120, p. 508, § 3, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 139 - Health Information System Coordinating Committee (§§ 3201 — 3205) › § 3204 - Internal operation

The Committee shall meet in regular sessions no less than six (6) times a year and shall meet in special sessions whenever it is necessary for the performance of its duties after being duly summoned by its President to such effects. Seven (7) of its members shall constitute quorum and all agreements shall be adopted by the majority of the members present. The Executive Director shall be responsible for preparing the minutes of the meetings, agreements, periodic and annual reports, as needed, and circulating them among the other members of the Committee.
History —July 21, 1988, No. 120, p. 508, § 4, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 139 - Health Information System Coordinating Committee (§§ 3201 — 3205) › § 3205 - Annual reports

The Committee shall submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature no later than January 31 of each year, which shall contain a summary of the work carried out during the previous year, the goals attained, future programs and recommendations as to legislation needed to carry out said programs.
The first of these reports shall be submitted at the end of a year after the effectiveness of this act, and shall include:
(a) The identification of the health information requirements that all public and private instrumentalities have from local, commonwealth and federal agencies and from other bodies.
(b) An inventory of the health data, statistics and information available in the various public and private agencies, including the main source, its distribution, use and control.
(c) The conceptual design or redesign of a Health Information System to facilitate and produce the required data, statistics and information. This design must provide for the coordination among the various sources, so that the information is produced in an efficient and economic manner, using the existing resources whenever it is possible and coordinating them so that there can be an exact, updated and easy to use data base.
(d) The organizational structure needed for its implementation.
(e) The basic guidelines for the regulations that must eventually be promulgated in order to make the proposed Health Information System feasible.
(f) A projection of the development, implementation and operating costs of the proposed System.
(g) An itinerary of activities for the implementation of said System.
(h) A clear and detailed statement of the continuous and systematic monitoring process that shall be used to measure the effectiveness of the Health Information System.
(i) A plan to keep the consumer informed on the most relevant data of the Health Information System.
History —July 21, 1988, No. 120, p. 508, § 5, retroactive to July 1, 1988.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 140 - HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council (§§ 3206 — 3206k) › § 3206 - Creation

The HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council is hereby created, attached to the Department of Health.
History —Aug. 30, 2000, No. 241, § 1, eff Jan. 2, 2001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 140 - HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council (§§ 3206 — 3206k) › § 3206a - Members

The Council shall be constituted by the Department of Health and the organizations that offer assistance to HIV and/or AIDS patients.
History —Aug. 30, 2000, No. 241, § 2, eff. Jan. 2, 2001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 140 - HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council (§§ 3206 — 3206k) › § 3206b - Register

The Council shall keep a register of the organizations that render services to HIV and/or AIDS patients, and the services offered by each.
History —Aug. 30, 2000, No. 241, § 3, eff. Jan. 2, 2001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 140 - HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council (§§ 3206 — 3206k) › § 3206c - Technical assistance

The Council shall see to the programmatic and administrative development of the participating organizations, so that all patients receive services of excellent quality. For these purposes, it shall provide technical assistance in various areas, such as: preparation of proposals, administration and organizational development, and effective fundraising and fund use, among others.
History —Aug. 30, 2000, No. 241, § 4, eff. Jan. 2, 2001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 140 - HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council (§§ 3206 — 3206k) › § 3206d - Evaluation

The Council shall continuously assess the use and cost-effectiveness of the existing services and shall make recommendations to the pertinent agencies in order to maximize the effective use of the resources available. In order to fulfill this task, it shall assess the needs of the population.
History —Aug. 30, 2000, No. 241, § 5, eff. Jan. 2, 2001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 140 - HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council (§§ 3206 — 3206k) › § 3206e - Periodical meetings

The Council shall propitiate the holding of periodical meetings among the government agencies and the organizations that render services, so as to exchange ideas and resources that are beneficial to the decision-making process.
History —Aug. 30, 2000, No. 241, § 6, eff. Jan. 2, 2001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 140 - HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council (§§ 3206 — 3206k) › § 3206f - Control number

The Council shall identify each patient by a control number, which shall be permanent. This number shall identify the person, guarantee confidentiality, and prevent the duplication of services.
History —Aug. 30, 2000, No. 241, § 7, eff. Jan. 2, 2001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 140 - HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council (§§ 3206 — 3206k) › § 3206g - Computerized records

The Council shall also maintain computerized records of the patients, according to the number assigned to each one, and the services received by each. This will help compute the actual cost of treatment for each patient.
History —Aug. 30, 2000, No. 241, § 8, eff. Jan. 2, 2001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 140 - HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council (§§ 3206 — 3206k) › § 3206h - Prevention campaigns

The Council shall provide information on the rights of HIV and/or AIDS patients and shall develop prevention campaigns.
History —Aug. 30, 2000, No. 241, § 9, eff. Jan. 2, 2001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 140 - HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council (§§ 3206 — 3206k) › § 3206i - Communications center

The Council shall also establish a communications center for relatives and friends, so that they may document and search for HIV and/or AIDS-related information and information on the services and programs available.
History —Aug. 30, 2000, No. 241, § 10, eff. Jan. 2, 2001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 140 - HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council (§§ 3206 — 3206k) › § 3206j - Regulations

The Department of Health shall approve the regulations of the Council within six (6) months following the date of approval of this act, which shall include but shall not be limited to the requirements that the organizations must meet to become members of the Council.
History —Aug. 30, 2000, No. 241, § 11, eff. Jan. 2, 2001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 140 - HIV and/or AIDS Patient Assistance Organizations Council (§§ 3206 — 3206k) › § 3206k - Funds

The funds needed for the operation of the Council shall be consigned in the annual budget of the Department of Health. The Council may receive contributions from private entities, municipal governments, and the government of the United States.
History —Aug. 30, 2000, No. 241, § 12, eff. Jan. 2, 2001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 141 - Services for Pregnant Women (§§ 3211 — 3213) › § 3211 - Public policy

It is hereby stated that it is of the highest public interest and priority to ensure that pregnant women, regardless of their age, have access to pre- and postnatal care and services and that they receive prenatal care as soon as possible after the beginning of pregnancy. Therefore, any pregnant non-emancipated or mentally-incompetent minor may receive pre- and postnatal health care and counseling services, to include nutritional advice and guidance as to the conduct and attitude for the protection of the fetus and the postnatal evaluation and care of the newborn baby, without having to comply with the requirement of obtaining the prior consent of those [who are] legally [called] upon to consent for said minor.
History —July 22, 1992, No. 27, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 141 - Services for Pregnant Women (§§ 3211 — 3213) › § 3212 - Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the term “pre- and postnatal care and services” shall include diagnostic studies, physical examinations, vaccinations, prescription and administration of medication, referrals to other professionals or health service institutions for consultation and treatment, surgical procedures related to pregnancy or its complications, and any other consultations, guidance and treatment services pertinent to proper care during the post partum period. None of the provisions stated herein may be interpreted as an authorization to take measures to interrupt the pregnancy or to render sterilization services to any non-emancipated or mentally-incompetent minor.
History —July 22, 1992, No. 27, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 141 - Services for Pregnant Women (§§ 3211 — 3213) › § 3213 - Document of consent

The Department of Health shall establish through regulations, the norms for the implementation of this chapter, including the design and distribution of the document or form to be completed and signed by any non-emancipated pregnant minor stating her consent to receive pre- and postnatal health care and services. In the case of mentally-incompetent pregnant women, in the absence of the person legally called upon to give consent, the aforementioned form shall be signed by the person accompanying the woman seeking said services. In the case of mentally-incompetent pregnant women, the form shall be signed by her guardian or court-appointed attorney. In the absence of a guardian or court-appointed attorney, the health or professional of a health services institution, be it public or private, shall fill out the document required by this chapter, which shall state the fact of her mental incompetence, the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy and her need for treatment, so that the document may be remitted to the District Attorney, who should he deem it necessary shall authorize the treatment after learning of and corroborating, the information supplied by the health official. This procedure shall be completed in a term not to exceed five (5) days.
The Secretary of Health shall provide said forms to public and private health services institutions and professionals. In the case of private health services institutions and professionals a fee may be charged that shall not exceed the cost of producing the forms.
History —July 22, 1992, No. 27, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 142 - Registry for Congenital Conditions among Infants of the Vieques Municipality (§§ 3215 — 3215j) › § 3215 - Definitions

(a) Congenital condition in infants. — This expression shall be understood as that mental or physical deficiency of a functional or structural nature in a human embryo, a fetus or an infant not over five (5) years of age, resulting from one (1) or more genetic or environmental reasons.
(b) Department. — Means the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Department of Health.
(c) Medical facility. — The term includes: general or specialized hospital; a clinic operated and managed by an independent physician; a public or private school of medicine; and any other medical establishment that treats or diagnoses any congenital condition, or that receives information useful for identifying congenital conditions in the infants of Vieques.
(d) Malicious manner. — To transmit or to use Registry information knowing that it will be employed for purposes contrary to those contemplated in this chapter.
(e) Gross negligence. — The act of divulging information, without diligently checking that the recipient of the same is really an authorized Department agent or is authorized by this chapter to receive it.
(f) Health professional. — A person whose profession is related in any way to the preservation of another person’s health, and in pursuit of which he is aided by a certain minimum formal education and holds a state license or certification accrediting his aptitude for such task.
(g) Registry. — The Registry for Congenital Conditions among Infants of the Vieques Municipality.
History —Sept. 27, 2003, No. 280, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART VII - Hospitals, Institutions and Health Programs (§§ 3001 — 3891) › Chapter 142 - Registry for Congenital Conditions among Infants of the Vieques Municipality (§§ 3215 — 3215j) › § 3215a - Establishment and management

(a) This chapter hereby creates a Registry for Congenital Conditions among Infants of the Vieques Municipality.
(b) The Registry so created shall be attached to the Puerto Rico Department of Health, which shall assign the necessary personnel and staff for attaining the purposes contemplated in the present chapter.
(c) In performing its functions, the Department may delegate some of its duties to those public agencies or instrumentalities better suited to render the objectives of this chapter viable.
(d) If the delegation acknowledged in subsection (c) of this section is performed, the Department shall maintain, at all times, the primary responsibility of managing the Registry.
History —Sept. 27, 2003, No. 280, § 4.