2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE ONE - The Commonwealth (§§ 1 — 5289) › Chapter 14 - Organic Act of the Food and Nutrition Commission of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (§§ 251 — 260) › § 253 - Powers and duties

The Food and Nutrition Commission shall have the following functions and duties, without it being considered as a limitation:
(a) Establish the general objectives to direct the food and nutrition policy of Puerto Rico.
(b) Advise the government food and nutrition programs on everything related to the resources available in Puerto Rico for the execution of the various aspects of the public policy on food and nutrition.
(c) Establish priorities, and pursuant to them, recommend the administrative decisions and measures that must be taken to attend to the population’s food and nutrition needs and problems to the Governor and the Legislature.
(d) Advise and coordinate with the corresponding public agencies the development and implementation of an aggressive educational plan for the community on food and nutrition and counsel them in establishing the appropriate projects, programs, services and measures to be executed.
(e) Stimulate public agencies, institutions and private organizations to perform investigations related to the food and nutrition situation of the country.
(f) Require the agencies to furnish information on professional personnel resources to attend to the food and nutrition area and encourage the development of initiatives by other public and private agencies for activities to educate and train said personnel.
(g) Develop, organize and hold congresses, conferences, seminars and workshops on food and nutrition in coordination with other public agencies and private institutions, and with any other organizations that carry out activities that are consonant to the purposes of this chapter.
(h) Propitiate the exchange of information with federal, Commonwealth and local agencies and public and private organizations in Puerto Rico or abroad, devoted to the development of programs for the improvement of the nutritional status of the population.
(i) Accept donations on its behalf, or goods or money from any public agency or private entity to carry out studies and research, and comply with the purposes of this chapter; and receive funds from any sources and programs of the Governments of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or the United States of America to perform studies, research and any other activity or purpose consonant to this chapter.
(j) Request information on the progress and results of the efforts carried out to implement the public policy on food and nutrition from the pertinent public agencies.
(k) Plan and coordinate the development of the public policy on food and nutrition to attend to the needs of the population of Puerto Rico with the various government agencies.
(l) Review and keep the Puerto Rico Food Chain Pyramid Guide updated.
(m) Propose and promote legislation that is deemed pertinent to achieve the public policy that is adopted.
(n) Designate the special committees that it deems are needed to perform the functions entrusted to the Commission.
(o) Adopt the rules and regulations that are needed to achieve the purposes pursued by this chapter. Said regulations, with the exception of those for the internal operation of the Commission, shall be adopted and promulgated pursuant to §§ 2101 et seq. of Title 3, known as the “Uniform Administrative Procedures Act of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”.
(p) Present an annual report on its activities to the Governor and the Legislature no later than the last day of January of each year, as well as any other special report it deems convenient or that is requested by him, or by the Legislature of Puerto Rico.
History —Jan. 8, 1999, No. 10, § 5, eff. July 1, 1999.