reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 27 - Prizes and Honors (§§ 571 — 583) › § 580 - Tourism Medal of Merit

(a) The Tourism Medal of Merit is hereby created, to be granted by the Tourism Company to reward those who render eminent services or perform extraordinary deeds in behalf of tourism in any of its branches, thus constituting models worthy of emulation by the community, and which in turn promote educational campaigns in behalf of tourist activities and the good image of the country; which may include individuals, communities, institutions or local businesses located or established in Puerto Rico.
(b) The Tourism Medal of Merit shall have three (3) categories: gold, silver and bronze, and shall be limited to one per year in each category. The Company shall approve regulations to establish the requirements to be met by the recipients of these medals. Likewise, the parameters, criteria and procedures for the selection of the jurors who shall recommend potential candidates for this award shall be established thereby.
(c) The Tourism Company is hereby empowered to grant the medals of merit in tourism through a resolution to such effect of the Board of Directors of the Tourism Company of Puerto Rico as the official tourism entity, pursuant to the procedures established in regulations that shall be adopted to such effects.
(d) The selection of the most outstanding activity in municipal or regional tourism committees, or the best news article in the media on the tourist attractions of Puerto Rico, or the outstanding employee of the year of the tourism sector for his/her dedication, efforts and exceptional work, or the most valuable tourism business initiative, among many others, are among the deeds which could be included, but not limited thereto, for being acknowledged as eminent or worthy of this distinction.
(e) All proposals and recommendations of the jurors shall be based on and shall include the reports, testimonials, background and data deemed to have merit for the proposed objective.
(f) The Tourism Company shall award the Tourism Medal of Merit and certificates of recognition to the recipients of these awards in a ceremony of recognition before the communications media, which shall take place during the same week in which the World Tourism Day established by the International Tourism Organization, is held.
(g) The Tourism Company shall keep an official register of the persons who have received these medals and recognitions since they were establish.
History —Mar. 13, 2004, No. 78, §§ 1—7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 27 - Prizes and Honors (§§ 571 — 583) › § 582 - Eurípides Rubio Medal

(a) The Eurípides Rubio Medal is hereby created.
(b) The medal, created by virtue of this section, is bestowed only upon members of operating units or Puerto Rican members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America or the Puerto Rico National Guard, be they active or veterans who have distinguished themselves while carrying out an official mission, risking their lives beyond the call of duty and who shall be selected by the Joint Committee for Granting Medals and Awards of the Legislature.
(c) The Joint Committee for Granting Medals and Awards of the Legislature shall receive nominations from the Veterans Advocate and from representatives of recognized organizations that represent active military personnel or veteran Puerto Rican members of units of the Armed Forces of the United States of America or the Puerto Rico National Guard to be decorated with the Eurípides Rubio Medal. The nominations shall be presented to the Joint Committee for Granting Medals and Awards of the Legislature through a report listing the names of the candidates to the medal and shall contain the reasons for which they deserve said recognition. The Committee shall evaluate the report presented and select the candidate or candidates that meet the standards and conditions for granting the Eurípides Rubio Medal established by the Joint Committee for Granting Medals and Awards of the Legislature. The Committee, after evaluating the nominations presented, shall prepare a report indicating the reasons why the candidates selected merit said medal.
Said Committee shall issue the standards and conditions that the units and members to be awarded the medal must follow and meet.
(d) The Eurípides Rubio Medal shall be awarded annually, provided recipients of the same exist, on Veterans Day during a ceremony organized for such a purpose by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, who shall be in charge of bestowing the award upon the members of the units and the Armed Forces or the National Guard. Both legislative bodies shall be responsible for providing the funds, the facilities and the resources needed to carry out the awards activity.
(e) The funds needed to comply with the provisions of this section shall proceed from the joint activities item of the Legislature of Puerto Rico considered in the General Budget of Expenses of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
History —Dec. 14, 2005, No. 152, §§ 1—5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 27 - Prizes and Honors (§§ 571 — 583) › § 583 - Puerto Rican Children’s Health Education Award

(a) [The] “Puerto Rican Children’s Health Education Award” of the Department of Education of the Government of Puerto Rico [is hereby created] in order to promote and recognize the programs established in the public schools of Puerto Rico that foster physical activity and healthy nutrition for the children of our Island.
(b) The Department of Education of the Government of Puerto Rico is hereby empowered to approve regulations to provide all the rules and procedures necessary to make effective the granting of the Award established in this section.
(c) The first prize consists of five thousand dollars ($5,000), the second prize, three thousand dollars ($3,000), and the third prize, two thousand dollars ($2,000) for schools whose programs promote physical activity and healthy nutrition for the children of our Island.
(d) The funds needed to enforce the provisions of this section shall originate from the General Expenses Fund of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
History —Oct. 31, 2007, No. 151, §§ 1–4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 29 - Proceedings and Granting of Immunity to Witnesses (§§ 591 — 597) › § 591 - Definitions

The following expressions in this chapter shall have the meaning indicated hereinbelow:
(a) Agency.— Shall mean any department, office, public corporation, municipality, commission, board or government instrumentality of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico where it, or its officials, have the legal power to investigate and issue summons to witnesses.
(b) Body.— Shall mean the House of Representatives or the Senate of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(c) Official.— Shall mean every person, be it a prosecutor, magistrate, judge, agent, official or employee of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, authorized to issue summons for persons to appear before him/her to offer testimony or supply documents or information.
(d) Administrative immunity.— Shall mean the protection against administrative actions that is granted by the Commonwealth to any witness in relation to the events about which he/she was forced to testify.
(e) Civil immunity.— Shall mean the protection against civil actions on the part of the Commonwealth related to events about which the witness was forced to testify.
(f) Disciplinary immunity.— Shall mean the protection against the disciplinary actions before the Supreme Court or any other board with powers to discipline its members, in relation to the conduct of an attorney or any other profession or trade, concerning the events about which he/she was forced to testify.
(g) Transactional immunity.— Shall mean the protection against any action of a penal nature in relation to the events about which the witness was forced to testify.
(h) Order.— Shall mean the one dictated by the appropriate part of the Court of First Instance pursuant to § 593 of this title, forcing a witness to testify or supply the information required by the agency or official regardless of his/her claim to the right against self-incrimination.
(i) Resolution.— Shall mean the one approved by either Body pursuant to § 596(c) of this title.
(j) Witness.— Shall mean any person forced to testify or supply documents or information in exchange for immunity regardless of his/her claim to the privilege against self-incrimination.
History —Dec. 8, 1990, No. 27, p. 1520, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 29 - Proceedings and Granting of Immunity to Witnesses (§§ 591 — 597) › § 592 - Public policy

This chapter shall constitute a general and uniform mechanism for providing an adequate balance between the protection of the constitutional right against self-incrimination and the need of the Commonwealth for obtaining information from witnesses which it considers essential to criminal, administrative and legislative investigations carried out by it without impairing the public interest and the responsibility of the government to see that the corresponding sanctions are imposed upon violators of the law.
The public policy of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is to make the appearance of witnesses in criminal, administrative and legislative investigations compulsory and obtain from them the information needed without impairing the right of every person against self-incrimination through his/her own testimony.
History —Dec. 8, 1990, No. 27, p. 1520, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 29 - Proceedings and Granting of Immunity to Witnesses (§§ 591 — 597) › § 594 - Immunity

Once the order has been dictated and the immunity granted the witness may not refuse to comply with said order invoking his/her privilege against self-incrimination. No testimony or information obtained from said witness in compliance with the order, nor any other evidence obtained directly or indirectly after that testimony or information, may be used against the witness in any criminal proceeding against him/her, except in a perjury proceeding for giving false testimony when testifying in compliance with the order. If after the testimony offered in compliance with the order a criminal action is filed against the witness, the public prosecutor must establish beyond a reasonable doubt that neither knowledge of the crime, nor the evidence for the prosecution were directly or indirectly obtained through the testimony or the information given by the witness in compliance with the order. If the witness were to have obtained transactional, civil or administrative immunity or all the aforesaid, every process already initiated shall be dismissed and no process whatsoever affected by the immunity will be initiated.
History —Dec. 8, 1990, No. 27, p. 1520, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 29 - Proceedings and Granting of Immunity to Witnesses (§§ 591 — 597) › § 595 - Contempt

The witness who refuses to partially or totally comply with the order dictated by the court pursuant to the provisions of § 593 of this title will incur civil contempt and a contempt violation. During the contempt proceedings the immunity granted the witness under the above stated § 594 of this title shall be sufficient evidence against any defense under the privilege against self-incrimination.
History —Dec. 8, 1990, No. 27, p. 1520, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 29 - Proceedings and Granting of Immunity to Witnesses (§§ 591 — 597) › § 596 - Legislative proceedings

(1) No witness under oath before either or both bodies of the Legislative Assembly or their Committees may refuse to testify or present any document or information required of him/her by invoking his/her privilege against self-incrimination. But no testimony or information obtained when the witness compelled to do so testifies, nor any other evidence obtained directly or indirectly after such testimony or information, may be used against the witness in any criminal proceeding against him/her, except in a process for perjury due to false testimony given when being compelled to testify. If after the testimony thus given a criminal action is filed against the witness, the public prosecutor must establish beyond a reasonable doubt that neither the knowledge of the crime, nor the evidence for the prosecution was obtained, directly or indirectly, through the testimony or information supplied by the witness so compelled.
(2) The witness who refuses to testify, answer any question or present the document or the information required, shall incur civil contempt and the crime of contempt, regardless of the provisions of subsection (1) of this section. During the contempt proceedings, the immunity granted the witness under subsection (1) of this section shall be sufficient evidence against any defense under the privilege against self-incrimination.
(3) Whenever the witness insists in not testifying, answering or presenting the evidence required, the provisions of subsection (1) of this section notwithstanding, the corresponding body or both bodies in the case of a joint session, committee or subcommittee of both bodies, may approve a resolution granting the witness transactional, civil or administrative immunity or all of the aforesaid, as long as it is by the majority vote of the members of the corresponding body or of both bodies in case of joint investigations. The resolution may also authorize the President of the corresponding Body to request disciplinary immunity from the Supreme Court for the witness, if he/she is an attorney duly admitted to the practice of the profession by the Supreme Court. In the case of other professions duly regulated by law, the President of the corresponding body shall go before the corresponding entity.
If the witness obtains transactional, civil or administrative immunity under this proceeding, every process already initiated shall be terminated and no process whatsoever shall be initiated that is affected by the immunity.
History —Dec. 8, 1990, No. 27, p. 1520, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 29 - Proceedings and Granting of Immunity to Witnesses (§§ 591 — 597) › § 597 - Applicability

The scope of the immunity that may be granted by virtue of other acts in effect shall never be less than that provided for in § 594 of this title. The powers granted to officials by virtue of other special acts to ponder and process the petitions for the granting of immunity shall remain fully in force and in effect while complying with all the proceedings provided by this chapter. The provisions which require prior approval of every request for immunity by the Secretary of Justice, will not be applicable to the proceedings initiated by virtue of Act No. 1 of January 18, 1985 and § 99h et seq. of Title 3, which create the positions of Special Prosecutor.
History —Dec. 8, 1990, No. 27, p. 1520, § 8.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 30 - Whistleblowers Protection Act (§§ 601 — 606) › § 601 - Statement of motives

The Legislature declares that ethical responsibility and moral integrity are guiding principles that govern public officials and the institutions, agencies, branches, and instrumentalities of the Government of Puerto Rico. Likewise, it is imperative to guarantee that government management at all levels incorporates and consecrates the highest standards of sound public administration, as an effective means to counteract and eradicate government corruption.
The purpose of this chapter is to adopt measures for the protection of the rights of public employees and officials who disclose information or testify on alleged improper or illegal acts regarding the use of public property or funds that due to their nature constitute acts of government corruption, or that fall within the ethical conduct regulated by our legal system. Said public official or employee shall enjoy the guarantee and protection of his/her anonymity during the investigative process. Although the need to offer protection of the rights of the public employees and officials who report, accuse, or are witnesses in investigations and procedures before administrative, judicial and legislative forums is evident the establishing of sanctions for those cases in which such claims or statements are defamatory, unfounded or frivolous in nature, is also necessary in the enforcement of this chapter.
The scope of this chapter has the effect of preventing that any public official or employee from being dismissed, threatened, discriminated, or otherwise retaliated against, with respect to the terms, conditions, compensation, location, benefits, or privileges of the employment or public service, when he/she gives information, or testifies on alleged illegal or improper acts in the use and management of public property or funds.
History —Nov. 7, 2000, No. 426, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 30 - Whistleblowers Protection Act (§§ 601 — 606) › § 602 - Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms and phrases shall have the meaning stated below:
(a) Public official.— Includes those persons who hold office or are employed in the Government of Puerto Rico who are vested with part of the sovereignty of the State.
(b) Public employee.— Includes those persons who hold positions or jobs in the Government of Puerto Rico who are not vested by the sovereignty of the State and includes regular and non-regular public employees, those who render services under contract, equivalent to a regular position or office, transitory appointees and employees in probation.
(c) Government of Puerto Rico.— Includes the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, its bureaus, agencies and entities or the Executive Branch, including public corporations, instrumentalities, and municipalities; the Legislative Branch and any office or joint dependency of both legislative bodies; the Comptroller of Puerto Rico; the Judiciary Branch, as well as the dependencies and offices attached thereto.
History —Nov. 7, 2000, No. 426, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 30 - Whistleblowers Protection Act (§§ 601 — 606) › § 603 - Prohibitions

The following actions are hereby prohibited:
(a) No public official or employee may dismiss, threaten, discriminate against or otherwise retaliate against another public official or employee, with regard to the terms, conditions, compensation, location, or employment benefits or privileges, because the latter has disclosed or has attempted, orally or in writing to disclose any testimony, statement, or information on alleged improper or illegal acts in the use of public property or funds or acts that constitute corruption, before any official or employee with investigative functions or before a state or federal legislative, administrative or judiciary forum, when said statements are not defamatory, unfounded, or frivolous, nor constitute privileged information established by law.
(b) No public official or employee who has authority to influence, recommend or approve any action, shall make adverse or discriminatory decisions regarding any public official or employee for:
(1) Offering or attempting to offer any spoken or written information or statement against an official or employee, before any other public official or employee with investigative functions, or any state or federal administrative, legislative or judicial forum, that the public official or employee who gives the information or testimony reasonably believes that it is evidence of the violation of a law, rule or regulation, misuse use public funds, illegal use of public property, loss of funds, abuse of authority or violations of the laws and regulations that govern the ethical conduct in the public service.
(2) Exercising the right to report, complain, sue, or appeal, guaranteed by any act, rule or regulation of our legal system in effect.
(3) Refusing to obey an order to carry out an act or omission that would bring about the violation of a law or regulation.
History —Nov. 7, 2000, No. 426, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 30 - Whistleblowers Protection Act (§§ 601 — 606) › § 604 - Exceptions

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply when the public employee or official or accuser, or witness of alleged acts of corruption has been accused or convicted as co-author of the same illegal acts on which he/she is disclosing information or making statements, and the administrative procedures are initiated or have been initiated to impose disciplinary measures, separating from public service, or discharging from office pursuant to the rules and regulations that govern the administration of human resources and due process of law.
Furthermore, the public official or employee that accuses, brings suit or witnesses shall not invoke the protections and guarantees recognized by this chapter, when he/she offers or attempts to offer any testimony, statement or information on alleged improper or illegal acts, orally or in writing, before any official or employee with investigative functions, or before any state or federal administrative, legislative or judiciary forum, when said statements are defamatory, unfounded, or frivolous, or constitute privileged information established by law.
History —Nov. 7, 2000, No. 426, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 30 - Whistleblowers Protection Act (§§ 601 — 606) › § 605 - Interpretation of legal provisions

The interpretation, implementation, and administration of this chapter shall be made in strict compliance with the enunciated statement of motives and the applicable principles of penal, civil, and administrative code of laws.
History —Nov. 7, 2000, No. 426, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 30 - Whistleblowers Protection Act (§§ 601 — 606) › § 606 - Sanctions and remedies

(a) Actions of a criminal nature.— Any public employee or official who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall incur a fourth degree felony.
Any public employee or official who is a plaintiff, complainant or witness that furnishes information verbally or in writing or that offers a testimony on improper or illegal acts that due to their nature constitute acts of corruption knowing that said facts are false, or when said statements are defamatory, unfounded or frivolous, shall incur a fourth degree felony.
(b) Civil acts.— Any public official or employee who alleges a violation of the provisions of this chapter has incurred, may file a civil suit against the public official or employee who acts in contravention of the provisions within a year of the date said violation occurred, and request to be compensated by the person for damages, mental anguishes [sic], reinstatement to employment and granted triple unearned wages, benefits and the payment of attorney fees.
Any public employee or official who informs, accuses or a [sic] is of witnesses who furnishes oral or written information, offers testimony on improper or illegal acts that due to their nature are acts of corruption, knowing that they are false, or when said statements are made by him/her are of defamatory, unfounded or frivolous in nature, said employee or official shall be subject to extra contractual civil liability.
(c) Administrative actions.— In addition to any other administrative or judicial remedy that granted against any public official or employee who violates any of the provisions of this chapter, the criminal conviction or finding of civil liability by a Court of First Instance, shall constitute sufficient cause to file charges pursuant to the rules and regulations that govern the applicable administrative procedures.
History —Nov. 7, 2000, No. 426, § 8; Sept. 16, 2004, No. 374, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 30A - Protection and Compensation of Persons Who Denounce Acts of Corruption against Public Funds and Property (§§ 611 — 615) › § 611 - Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meaning indicated hereinafter:
(a) Person.— Means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, as well as any other juridical entity or agent thereof.
History —Apr. 11, 2001, No. 14, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 30A - Protection and Compensation of Persons Who Denounce Acts of Corruption against Public Funds and Property (§§ 611 — 615) › § 612 - Protection

No person shall harass, discriminate, dismiss, threaten or suspend benefits, rights or protection granted to another person because the latter furnishes information, cooperates or acts as witness in any investigation that leads to formal complaint, accusation, conviction, civil or administrative action for a conduct related to the illegal use of property or public funds or to violation to the laws and regulations that govern ethical conduct in the public service.
History —Apr. 11, 2001, No. 14, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 30A - Protection and Compensation of Persons Who Denounce Acts of Corruption against Public Funds and Property (§§ 611 — 615) › § 613 - Remedy

(a) Every person who alleges a violation to the provisions of § 612 of this title may file a civil action in the Court of First Instance within a period of three (3) months counting from the date in which the damage was caused or since the affected person came into knowledge of said fact and of the person who caused it. The affected person may request compensation for the real damages suffered, mental anguish, as well as for the other benefits he/she has failed to receive. Said person shall also be entitled to reimbursement for attorney fees.
Provided, however, That if the sentence is final and binding and confirms the veracity of the allegations based on the provisions of this chapter, it shall correspond to the defendant party to assume the payment thereof from his/her own peculium.
(b) The person may prove violation to his/her rights through direct or circumstantial evidence. On the other hand, he/she may establish a prima facie case of violation to the provisions of this chapter by proving that he/she cooperates or cooperated with any investigation on government corruption that affected a person with whom the defendant has any tie or direct or indirect relationship, and was subsequently dismissed, harassed, discriminated against, threatened or that his/her rights, benefits or protections were suspended. Once the foregoing has been established, the defendant may allege and set forth the grounds of the fact that that [sic] he/she was not the person who caused the damage, or that in fact the alleged [damage] does not exist or that there was a legitimate reason for his/her actions. In the case the defendant presents attesting evidence to rebut the presumption of a violation to the provisions of this chapter, the aggrieved party shall demonstrate, with burden of proof, that the exculpatory defenses alleged by the defendant do not release him/her of responsibility.
(c) The granting of a remedy under this chapter does require exhaustion of administrative remedies.
History —Apr. 11, 2001, No. 14, § 4; Apr. 14, 2008, No. 39, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 30A - Protection and Compensation of Persons Who Denounce Acts of Corruption against Public Funds and Property (§§ 611 — 615) › § 614 - Criminal liability

Every person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall incur a felony and upon conviction shall be sanctioned with a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or imprisonment for a fixed term of three (3) years, or both penalties. If there were aggravating circumstances, the fixed penalty established may be increased to a maximum of five (5) years, if there were mitigating circumstances it may be reduced to a minimum of two (2) years.
History —Apr. 11, 2001, No. 14, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 30A - Protection and Compensation of Persons Who Denounce Acts of Corruption against Public Funds and Property (§§ 611 — 615) › § 615 - Interpretation of provisions of law

The interpretation, implementation and administration of this chapter shall be carried out in strict compliance with the declaration of purposes set forth herein and in complementary manner with the principles of the penal, civil and administrative laws that are applicable in the interpretation of laws regarding topics analogous to those addressed in this chapter.
History —Apr. 11, 2001, No. 14, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 31 - Emergency Management Assistance Agreement (§§ 621 — 633) › § 621 - Purpose and authorities

By this chapter, the Government of Puerto Rico ratifies the “Emergency Management Assistance Agreement” (hereinafter referred as the “Agreement”), together with the participating member states which ratify this Agreement, hereinafter called “party states”. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “states” is taken to mean the several states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territorial possessions.
The purpose of this Agreement is to provide for mutual assistance between the states entering into this Agreement in managing any emergency or disaster that is duly declared by the governor of the affected state(s), whether arising from natural disaster, technological hazard, man-made disaster, civil emergency aspects of resources shortages, community disorders, insurgency, or enemy attack.
This Agreement shall also provide for mutual cooperation in emergency-related exercises, testing, or other training activities using equipment and personnel simulating performance of any aspect of the giving and receiving of aid by party states or subdivisions of party states during emergencies, such actions occurring outside actual declared emergency periods. Mutual assistance in this Agreement may include the use of the states National Guard forces, either in accordance with the National Guard Mutual Assistance Agreement or by mutual agreement between states.
History —Sept. 2, 1996, No. 178, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 31 - Emergency Management Assistance Agreement (§§ 621 — 633) › § 622 - General implementation

Each party state entering into this compact recognizes many emergencies transcend political jurisdictional boundaries and that intergovemmental coordination is essential in managing these and other emergencies under this compact. Each state further recognizes that there will be emergencies that require immediate access and present procedures to apply outside resources to make a prompt and effective response to such an emergency. This is because few, if any, individual states have all the resources they may need in all types emergencies or the capability of delivering resources to areas where emergencies exist.
The prompt, full, and effective utilization of resources of the participating states, including any resources on hand or available from the Federal Government or any other source, that are essential to the safety, care, and welfare of the people in the event of any emergency or disaster declared by a party state, shall be the underlying principle on which all articles of this Agreement shall be understood.
On behalf of the governor of each state participating in the Agreement, the legally designated state official who assigned responsibility for emergency management will be responsible for formulation of the appropriate interstate mutual aid plans and procedures necessary to implement this Agreement.
History —Sept. 2, 1996, No. 178, § 3; Aug. 20, 1997, No. 95, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 31 - Emergency Management Assistance Agreement (§§ 621 — 633) › § 624 - Limitations

Any party state requested to render mutual aid or conduct exercises and training for mutual aid shall take such action as is necessary to provide and make available the resources covered by this Agreement in accordance with the terms hereof; provided that it is understood that the state rendering aid may withhold resources to the extent necessary to provide reasonable protection for such state.
Each party state shall afford to the emergency forces of any party state, while operating within its state limits under the terms and condition of this compact, the same powers (except that of arrest unless specifically authorized by the receiving state), duties, rights, and privileges as are afforded forces of the state in which they are performing emergency services. Emergency forces will continue under the command and control of their regular leaders, but the organizational units will come under the operational control of the emergency services authorities of the state receiving assistance. These conditions may be activated, as needed, only subsequent to a declaration of a state of emergency or disaster by the governor of the party state that is to receive assistance or commencement of exercises or training for mutual aid and shall continue so long as the exercises or training for mutual aid are in progress, the state of emergency or disaster remains in effect, or loaned resources remain in the receiving state(s), whichever is longer.
History —Sept. 2, 1996, No. 178, § 5; Aug. 20, 1997, No. 95, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 31 - Emergency Management Assistance Agreement (§§ 621 — 633) › § 625 - Licenses and permits

Whenever any person holds a license, certificate, or other permit issued by any state party to the Agreement evidencing the meeting of qualifications for professional, mechanical, or other skills, and when such assistance is requested by the receiving party state, such person shall be deemed licensed, certified, or permitted by the state requesting assistance to render aid involving such skill to meet a declared emergency or disaster, subject to such limitations and conditions as the governor of the requesting state may prescribe by executive order or otherwise.
History —Sept. 2, 1996, No. 178, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 31 - Emergency Management Assistance Agreement (§§ 621 — 633) › § 626 - Liability

Officers or employees of a party state rendering aid in another state pursuant to this Agreement shall be considered agents of the requesting state for tort liability and immunity purposes; and no party state or its officers or employees rendering aid in another state pursuant to this Agreement shall be liable on account of any act or omission in good faith on the part of such forces while so engaged or on account of the maintenance or use of any equipment or supplies in connection therewith. Good faith in this article shall not include willful misconduct, gross negligence, or recklessness.
History —Sept. 2, 1996, No. 178, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 31 - Emergency Management Assistance Agreement (§§ 621 — 633) › § 627 - Supplementary agreements

Inasmuch as it is probable that the pattern and detail of the machinery for mutual aid among two (2) or more states may differ from that among the states that are party hereto, this instrument contains elements of a broad base common to all states, and nothing herein contained shall preclude any state from entering into supplementary agreements with another state or affect any other agreements already in force between states. Supplementary agreements may comprehend, but shall not be limited to, provisions for evacuation and reception of injured and other persons and the exchange of medical, fire, police, public utility, reconnaissance, welfare, transportation and communications personnel, and equipment and supplies.
History —Sept. 2, 1996, No. 178, § 8.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 31 - Emergency Management Assistance Agreement (§§ 621 — 633) › § 628 - Compensation

Each party state shall provide for the payment of compensation and death benefits to injured members of the emergency forces of that state and representatives of deceased members of such forces in case such members sustain injuries or are killed while rendering aid pursuant to this compact, in the same manner and on the same terms as if the injury or death were sustained within their own state.
History —Sept. 2, 1996, No. 178, § 9.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 31 - Emergency Management Assistance Agreement (§§ 621 — 633) › § 629 - Reimbursement

Any party state rendering aid in another state pursuant to this compact shall be reimbursed by the party receiving such aid for any loss or damage to, or expense incurred in the operation of any equipment and the provision of any services in answering a request for aid and for the costs incurred in connection with such requests; Provided, That any aiding party state may assume in whole or in part such loss, damage, expense, or other cost, or may loan such equipment or donate such services to the receiving party state without charge, or cost; and provided further that any two (2) or more party states may enter into supplementary agreements establishing a different allocation of costs among those states. Section 628 of this title expenses shall not be reimbursable under these provisions.
History —Sept. 2, 1996, No. 178, § 10; Aug. 20, 1997, No. 95, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 31 - Emergency Management Assistance Agreement (§§ 621 — 633) › § 630 - Evacuation

Plans for the orderly evacuation and interstate reception of portions of the civilian population as the result of any emergency or disaster of sufficient proportions to so warrant shall be worked out and maintained between the party states and the emergency management services directors of the various jurisdictions where any type of incident requiring evacuations might occur. Such plans shall be put into effect by request of the state from which evacuees come and shall include the manner of transporting such evacuees, the number of evacuees to be received in different areas, that manner in which food, clothing, housing, and medical care will be provided, the registration of the evacuees, the providing of facilities for the notification of relatives or friends, and the forwarding of such evacuees to other areas or the bringing in of additional materials, supplies, and all other relevant factors. Such plans shall provide that the party state receiving evacuees and the party state from which the evacuees come shall mutually agree as to reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in receiving and caring for such evacuees, for expenditures for transportation, food, clothing, medicines and medical care, and like items. Such expenditures shall be reimbursed as agreed by the party state from which the evacuees come. After the termination of the emergency or disaster, the party state from which the evacuees come shall assume the responsibility for the ultimate support of repatriation of such evacuees.
History —Sept. 2, 1996, No. 178, § 11.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 31 - Emergency Management Assistance Agreement (§§ 621 — 633) › § 631 - Implementation

(a) This Agreement shall become operative immediately upon its enactment into law by any two (2) states; thereafter, this Agreement shall become effective as to any other state upon its enactment by such state.
(b) Any party state may withdraw from this Agreement by enacting a statute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal shall take effect until thirty (30) days after the governor of the withdrawing state has given notice in writing of such withdrawal to the governors of all other party states. Such action shall not relieve the withdrawing state from obligations assumed hereunder prior to the effective date of withdrawal.
(c) Duly authenticated copies of this Agreement and of such supplementary agreements as may be entered into shall, at the time of their approval, be deposited with each of the party states and with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other appropriate agencies of the United States Government.
History —Sept. 2, 1996, No. 178, § 12.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 31 - Emergency Management Assistance Agreement (§§ 621 — 633) › § 632 - Severance clause

If any clause, paragraph, subsection or section of this chapter were declared unconstitutional by judicial determination, the holding to that effect, shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions. The effect of the judicial determination shall be limited to the clause, paragraph, subsection, section or the provision declared unconstitutional.
History —Sept. 2, 1996, No. 178, § 13.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 31 - Emergency Management Assistance Agreement (§§ 621 — 633) › § 633 - Additional provisions

Nothing in this Agreement shall authorize or permit the use of military force by the National Guard of a state at any place outside that state in any emergency for which the President is authorized by law to call into federal service the militia, or for any purpose for which the use of the Army or the Air Force would in the absence of express statutory authorization be prohibited under § 1385 of Title 18, United States Code.
History —Sept. 2, 1996, No. 178, § 14.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 34 - National Plan for Prevention of Violence (§§ 681 — 685) › § 681 - Adoption

The Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall adopt a National Plan for the Prevention of Violence (the Plan), based upon the multisectoral approach and public health collaboration model utilized and recommended by the World Health Organization for the purposes of:
(a) Promoting healthy attitudes and behaviors in children and youth during their development and modify aggressive attitudes and behaviors in individuals who have already become violent or are at risk of attempting against themselves or incurring other behaviors that are harmful to their own health.
(b) Healing the less noticeable consequences of violence that go beyond physical harm, such as mental, personality and behavior disorders, deprivation and development deficiencies.
(c) Creating healthy family environments, and provide professional help as well as support to dysfunctional families, and other services to protect families at risk of violence.
(d) Improve the treatment and rehabilitation response systems and provide the assistance and support needed by the victims.
(e) Address problems that may generate or lead to violence, raise public awareness about violence and promote community action and good relations among neighbors.
(f) Applying the scientific method for the solution of social problems, in a multidisciplinary manner, by joining government and private institutions with community leaders in order to create strong support networks against violence in all its manifestations.
(g) Providing that the public health system has more involvement and reach in prevention strategies in the fight against violence.
History —Sept. 23, 2004, No. 467, § 1, eff. 30 days after Sept. 23, 2004.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 34 - National Plan for Prevention of Violence (§§ 681 — 685) › § 682 - Contents

The Plan shall constitute a collaboration commitment of the agencies and instrumentalities that integrate the legal, penal, public health, educational, labor and welfare systems, and it shall be accompanied with a document or report that includes the following:
(a) An analysis of the different forms or manifestations of violence, the biological, social, economic, cultural and political factors, local and external, that influence the country’s violence problem.
(b) An analysis of the health, economic, educational and social policies related to the violence problem and that contribute to maintain inequities between social groups, including recommendations on the modifications or changes that should be made in said policies for the prevention of violence.
(c) The results of research and studies on violence and on the programs, activities and prevention strategies conducted by the Committee or by any other person or entity separate from it that have been taken into account to draft the Plan.
(d) The strategies, measures and ways of facing and preventing violence, the services and programs for this, and the clientele or problem toward which each one of them is directed.
(e) The implementation schedule of the Plan, the specialized multisectoral equipment and resources needed for its development, the public agencies responsible for the execution of any part thereof and the responsibilities corresponding to each of them.
(f) The instruments for the gathering of reliable data on violence and the systems to measure the results of the strategies and activities included therein.
(g) The mechanisms to oversee that the government entities that share responsibilities in the implementation of the Plan render their corresponding services in a timely and diligent manner.
(h) The manner in which to stimulate and make feasible the true collaboration of [nongovernmental] organizations in the development of the Plan.
History —Sept. 23, 2004, No. 467, § 2, eff. 30 days after Sept. 23, 2004.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 34 - National Plan for Prevention of Violence (§§ 681 — 685) › § 683 - Committee; creation

A Committee, which shall be responsible for the drafting and recommendation of the Plan for the Prevention of Violence, is hereby created, to be constituted by the Secretaries of the Department of Health, Education, Family, Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Police Superintendent; the Women’s Advocate and two (2) representatives of [nongovernmental] organizations that render services for the prevention of violence to be appointed by the Governor of Puerto Rico. The Secretary of Health of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico shall chair the Committee.
The Committee shall be constituted within thirty (30) days as of the date of approval of this act and it shall submit a project of the National Plan for the Prevention of Violence to the Governor within six (6) months of its constitution.
The Governor shall submit the Plan for the consideration of the Legislature of Puerto Rico no later than [thirty] (30) days as of having received the same. The Legislature shall have a term of [sixty] (60) days for its consideration, and if it does not take any action on it within said term, the Plan shall take effect immediately.
History —Sept. 23, 2004, No. 467, § 3, eff. 30 days after Sept. 23, 2004.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 34 - National Plan for Prevention of Violence (§§ 681 — 685) › § 684 - Review

The National Plan for the Prevention of Violence shall be reviewed every four (4) years, and said review shall be subject to the procedure of consideration and approval established in §§ 682 and 683 of this title.
History —Sept. 23, 2004, No. 467, § 4, eff. 30 days after Sept. 23, 2004.