reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 89 - Marriages and Divorces (§§ 1161 — 1168) › § 1166 - Original marriage documents to Secretary of Health

The originals of the marriage licenses, of the affidavits given by the contracting parties, of the marriage certificates, and of any other documents which may have been necessary to present for its celebration, shall be forwarded to the Department of Health by the keeper of the Register not later than the fifth (5th) day of the month following that in which they were received to be filed and kept. The Secretary of Health shall see to it that they are carefully examined and, in case any of them should appear to be incomplete or defective, he shall require the additional information necessary to have a complete and satisfactory record.
History —Apr. 22, 1931, No. 24, p. 228, § 27, eff. 90 days after Apr. 22, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 91 - Register of Physicians, Midwives, and Undertakers (§ 1191) › § 1191 - Registration of physicians, midwives, and undertakers

On or before the day on which this act takes effect, every physician in the legal exercise of his profession in Puerto Rico, every midwife and every undertaker established in Puerto Rico shall register his name and address in the Office of the keeper of the Register of the district in which he resides or has an open office, or of the districts in which he may reside or establish an office in the future, and the keeper of the Register shall furnish him with a copy of this part and of the regulations which may be issued by the Secretary of Health in connection with its application. Within the thirty (30) days following the termination of each natural year, the keeper of the Register shall forward to the Secretary of Health a certified list of all physicians, midwives and undertakers who have registered their names in his office during all or part of the preceding natural year; Provided, That the keepers of the Registers shall not make any charge to physicians, midwives or undertakers for registering their names in his office or for annually certifying them to the Secretary of Health.
History —Apr. 22, 1931, No. 24, p. 228, § 29, eff. 90 days after Apr. 22, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 93 - Register of Patients and Inmates in Hospitals and Institutions (§ 1211) › § 1211 - Register of patients and inmates in hospitals and institutions

On or before the date on which this act takes effect, a register shall be kept in every hospital, sanatorium, asylum or other public or private institution established in Puerto Rico, or which may be established in the future, where patients are admitted for the treatment of diseases or for cases of maternity, or where persons are confined voluntarily or by virtue of judicial decision, or all persons confined therein or admitted thereto, as well as of those who may be confined or admitted in the future, which register shall contain all personal and statistical data of every such person; and in the case of any person admitted for the treatment of any disease the physician in charge of the hospital or institution shall specify in said register the diagnosis of said disease and the place where, in his opinion, the same was contracted. A record shall also be kept of births and deaths occurring in said institutions and, on or before the fifth (5th) day of every month, the director, superintendent or person in charge of said hospital or institution shall report to the Secretary of Health, on a printed form to be prepared for the purpose, all births and deaths occurring therein during the preceding month; Provided, That nothing herein contained shall relieve any person required to do so, from the obligation of preparing and presenting at the local registry the birth or death certificate, as the case may be, in the manner hereinbefore provided by this part.
History —Apr. 22, 1931, No. 24, p. 228, § 30, eff. 90 days after Apr. 22, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1232 - File and index of certificates

The Secretary of Health shall systematically arrange and permanently keep the certificates; shall prepare and keep an up-to-date alphabetical index thereof classified by the surnames of the deceased in the case of death certificates; by the surnames of the contracting parties in the case of marriage certificates; and by the surnames of the parents, or that of the mother in the case of children born out of wedlock, in the case of birth certificates. Once a death is registered according to the provisions of this chapter, the Secretary shall state on the birth certificate of the deceased person, the word “ Fallecido ”, with the English translation “Dead”. A rubber stamp shall be used for this purpose; Provided, That all certificates of [the] births, deaths and marriages that have occurred in Puerto Rico prior to the effective date of this act shall remain in the files of the respective municipalities in custody of the Local Registrar, who, by petition of the party concerned, shall issue certified copies thereof, through payment, by the petitioner, of the fee established through regulations to such effect, for each certified copy of a birth, marriage or death certificate. The moneys collected for the payment of the fees shall be covered into a special fund in the Department of the Treasury and shall be destined to the budget of the Registry of Vital Statistics for operating expenses. The custodians of the Registry may issue certified copies of the certificates to the petitioners concerned who are over eighteen (18) years of age, and to minors over sixteen (16) years of age with the written authorization of the parents or legal guardian; and is hereby authorized to issue to any minor who is, in turn, the father or mother of a minor, certificates related to him/her, and his/her son or daughter.
History —Apr. 22, 1931, No. 24, p. 228, § 32; Feb. 23, 1978, No. 1, p. 3, § 1; Apr. 19, 1983, No. 22, p. 39, § 1; Aug. 9, 1998, No. 220, § 3; Jan. 5, 1999, No. 1, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1233 - Notice of deaths by contagious diseases

The Secretary of Health shall inform the keepers of the Registers of all such diseases as are considered contagious or transmissible and dangerous to public health, and when a death due to any of said diseases is registered, the keeper of the Register shall immediately notify the health officer of the district on a printed form prepared for the purpose, so that the latter may take the necessary precautions to prevent the propagation of such disease.
History —Apr. 22, 1931, No. 24, p. 228, § 33, eff. 90 days after Apr. 22, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1234 - Printed forms for certificates; accurate execution

The registrar shall furnish to any person upon request printed forms for the preparation of certificates; he shall examine with the utmost care all birth, marriage and death certificates presented to him for registration in order to ascertain that the same have been filled out pursuant to the provisions of this part and the instructions of the Secretary of Health, and if any certificate should appear incomplete or with manifest errors, he shall call the attention of the person who has presented it to the omissions or errors appearing thereon, and he shall cause said errors or omissions to be corrected in due form before accepting it for registration; and, in cases of death, he may withhold the burial permit or the removal-and-burial permit until such errors or omissions shall have been satisfactorily corrected. Certificates shall be written out in a clear hand with indelible ink, and no certificate shall be considered complete unless all the spaces thereof have been filled out or a satisfactory explanation given in the spaces for which the required information cannot be obtained. If the death certificate has been duly filled out, the registrar shall issue the burial permit or the removal-and-burial permit to the person in charge of the burial or removal of the corpse; Provided, That when the death has been caused by some transmissible disease, the burial permit or the removal-and-burial permit shall conform to the provisions of the Health regulations in force. If the birth certificate has been duly filled out, the registrar shall deliver to the deponent, immediately after the registration, or shall send him by mail within ten (10) days thereafter, a certificate of the registration of the birth, upon the form prescribed by the Secretary of Health, and said certificate of registration shall be accepted at all times by the respective authorities as evidence of the child’s age for admission to public school or for securing employment permits. On the transcript of the certificate of registration kept by him, the registrar shall note the fact and date of issuance of said certificate of registration.
History —Apr. 22, 1931, No. 24, p. 228, § 34; Apr. 28, 1954, No. 24, p. 152.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1235 - Separate record books; successive numbering

The keeper of the Register shall number successively the birth, marriage and death certificates, in three different series, starting with number one for the first birth, the first marriage and the first death in each natural year; besides, he shall set forth the date on which the certificate was registered in his office, and he shall sign each one of them. He shall then make an exact transcription of each birth, marriage and death certificate which has been presented in his office in the record books which shall be furnished by the Secretary of Health and which shall be permanently kept in his office as the local record, in such form and manner as the Secretary of Health may indicate; Provided, That separate books shall be kept in each registry for each kind of certificates, i.e., a book for births, a book for stillborn children, one for marriages, and another for deaths.
History —Apr. 22, 1931, No. 24, p. 228, § 35, eff. 90 days after Apr. 22, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1236 - Reports and original certificates to Secretary of Health

On the fifth (5th) day of each month, the keeper of the Register shall forward to the Secretary of Health all the original certificates registered by him during the preceding month, as well as the original of any certificate of a back date which may be in his possession, and if in any one month no certificate shall have been registered, he shall make a report to that effect, which report he shall likewise forward to the Secretary of Health on the fifth (5th) day of the following month; Provided, That in cases of epidemics or of excessive mortality for any cause, or for legal, legislative or public-health purposes, the Secretary of Health may require any keeper of the Register to send the certificates and reports more frequently.
History —Apr. 22, 1931, No. 24, p. 228, § 36, eff. 90 days after Apr. 22, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1238 - Certified copies based upon old civil registries

The registrars of vital statistics in the municipalities of Puerto Rico are hereby authorized and directed to issue certified copies of the certificates or entries contained in said similar books transcribed from the duplicate books of the old Civil Registries, as if they were certified copies of the original certificates or entries.
History —Dec. 4, 1947, No. 4, p. 298, §§ 1, 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1239 - Photographic reproductions—Microfilming old civil registers

The Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico is hereby authorized to copy in photographic film, by means of the process known as “microfilm” and/or any other adequate process, all birth, marriage, and death certificates or registrations entered in the books of the old Civil Registry of Puerto Rico, as organized in the Commonwealth from January 1, 1885 to July 21, 1931. To ensure greater efficiency in this task, the Secretary may direct the temporary removal to the Department, for the purpose of copying them, of such books of the old Civil Registry as in his judgment may be necessary; Provided, That the Secretary of Health or any other official or person in charge of the Registry of Vital Statistics shall be under obligation to conserve the original documents.
History —May 13, 1947, No. 370, p. 710, § 1; June 13, 1962, No. 38, p. 89, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1240 - Photographic reproductions—Microfilming General Registry of Vital Statistics

In the same manner as stated in § 1239 of this title, he may make copies of all birth, marriage, and death certificates or registrations entered in the General Registry of Vital Statistics of Puerto Rico, as well as of the affidavits and other documents which may have been presented for making such registrations.
The Secretary is hereby empowered to contract with any organization, society, agency or corporation duly authorized to operate as such, to copy on photographic film, through the process known as microfilming, the birth, death and marriage certificates registered in the books of the old Civil Registry of Puerto Rico; as well as the birth, death or marriage certificates registered in the General Registry of Vital Statistics of Puerto Rico.
When the contracts authorized by §§ 1239—1244 of this title are executed, the Secretary of the Department of Health or his/her representative shall guarantee the integrity and confidentiality of the birth, death and marriage certificates, as well as the registration of the birth of a child who is later adopted, and the documents that attest to the adoption, as provided by §§ 1239—1244 of this title. A violation of the provisions of this contract with regard to the confidentiality of said documentation shall entail the cancellation of the contract and the return of the copies obtained thereby to the Secretary of the Department of Health of Puerto Rico or his/her representative. The process of microfilming all of these documents shall be coordinated with the General Archives of Puerto Rico.
History —May 13, 1947, No. 370, p. 710, § 2; Aug. 6, 1991, No. 42, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1241 - Photographic reproductions—Preservation of microfilms

A copy of these records obtained as indicated, shall be permanently filed at the Division of the Demographic Registry and Vital Statistics of the Department of Health, and another copy shall be deposited with the Commonwealth or federal government agency which, in the judgment of the Secretay of Health, can offer the safest conditions for its preservation.
The Secretary may authorize any organization, society, agency or corporation duly-authorized to operate as such, to permanently file a copy of the registrations obtained in the manner described in § 1240 of this title, which in the judgment of the Secretary, shall provide the best conditions to safeguard their preservation.
The Secretary shall guarantee accessibility to the copies found in the custody of entities other than the Department, for the future use. He/she shall also guarantee that the copies in the custody of those entities shall only be used as historical references.
History —May 13, 1947, No. 370, p. 710, § 3; Aug. 6, 1991, No. 42, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1242 - Photographic reproductions—Copies available upon payment

On petition of the interested party, the Secretary of Health, or the person authorized by him, shall furnish a copy of such documents to any person requesting it, upon payment of the proper fees, pursuant to § 1237 of this title.
History —May 13, 1947, No. 370, p. 710, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1243 - Photographic reproductions—Issuance in lieu of certified copies

The Secretary of Health is hereby authorized to issue, in lieu of certified copies of the birth, death, and marriage certificates or registrations recorded in the old books of the Civil Registry of Puerto Rico and in the General Registry of Vital Statistics, reproductions or copies of documents as authorized in § 1239 of this title that he may make of such certificates or registrations, as well as of the birth, death and marriage certificates, and affidavits, or other documents presented and accepted upon recording such certificates or registrations. The Secretary of Health may issue either the registered copies he is authorized to issue by this part or the said enlargements of photographic reproductions.
History —May 13, 1947, No. 370, p. 710, § 5; June 13, 1962, No. 38, p. 89, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1244 - Photographic reproductions—Legal force of photographic reproductions

The reproductions or copies of documents authorized in § 1239 of this title, made by the Secretary of Health from the certificates or registrations and other documents above referred to, shall have the same legal force as the certified copies of such certificates or registrations and other documents as the Secretary of Health may issue according to law.
History —May 13, 1947, No. 370, p. 720, § 6; June 13, 1962, No. 38, p. 89, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1245 - Certified verifications of birth, marriage, or death by local registrars—Admission in evidence

In all processes, actions and judicial and administrative proceedings in which the registration or notation in the Vital Statistics Registry is not challenged, the judges, prosecutors, and Government administrative agencies shall admit in evidence, as proof of the birth, marriage, or death, a certified verification issued by the Vital Statistics Registry of the District in which such birth, marriage or death appears registered.
Such certified verification shall contain the following authentic data of the original entry of the registration or of a true copy thereof recorded in the Vital Statistics Registry:
(1) Number of the Vital Statistics District, and place of occurrence.
(2) Number of certificate, book and folio of entry.
(3) Date of birth, marriage or death, showing month, day, year and hour; and date of entry with same details.
(4) Given name and surnames of person the object of the entry.
(5) In case of a verification of birth, given name and surnames of parents and paternal grandparents.
(6) In case of a verification of marriage, given names and surnames of spouses’ parents.
(7) Certificate signed by the Registrar and bearing the official seal of the Registry.
History —June 30, 1957, No. 111, p. 504, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1246 - Certified verifications of birth, marriage, or death by local registrars—Fees

On each certified verification issued pursuant to § 1245 of this title, the Registrar of the Civil Registry shall cancel an Internal Revenue stamp in the amount determined through regulations adopted for said purpose by the Secretary under the provisions of § 1071a of this title; except in those cases where other acts authorize the issuing of birth, marriage and death certificates free of charge.
History —June 30, 1957, No. 111, p. 504, § 2; Aug. 9, 1998, No. 220, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1247 - Certified verifications of birth, marriage, or death by local registrars—Issuance of certified verifications authorized

The local Vital Statistics Registrars of Puerto Rico are hereby authorized and directed to issue on petition of interested parties the certified verifications referred to in § 1245 of this title.
History —June 30, 1957, No. 111, p. 504, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1248 - Certified verifications of birth, marriage, or death by local registrars—Printed forms

The Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico is hereby authorized and directed to provide the local Vital Statistics Registries with the appropriate printed form for the purposes of §§ 1245—1250 of this title.
History —June 30, 1957, No. 111, p. 504, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1249 - Certified verifications of birth, marriage, or death by local registrars—False verifications

The issuance by any Vital Statistics Registrar of any of the certified verifications contemplated by §§ 1245—1250 of this title containing false data not in conformity with the original entries of the registration to which such verification refers, or with the true copy thereof recorded in the Registries, is hereby declared a public offense.
History —June 30, 1957, No. 111, p. 504, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 95 - Administrative Provisions (§§ 1231 — 1251) › § 1250 - Certified verifications of births, marriage, or death by local registrars—Penalties

Every person convicted of violating § 1249 of this title shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not less than six (6) months nor more than two (2) years.
History —June 30, 1957, No. 111, p. 504, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 97 - Cemeteries (§§ 1271 — 1274) › § 1271 - Grave plan; cemetery register

Every cemetery at present existing, or which may be established in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, shall have a plan showing the authorized graves therein. Said graves shall be numbered consecutively and the keeper of the cemetery shall keep a register of burials in which he shall set forth the date of each burial and the number of the grave corresponding thereto, as provided in § 1110 of this title.
The cemeteries already existing shall adapt themselves to the provisions of this section in a term of not more than ninety (90) days after the taking effect of this act; Provided, That in case any municipality should not comply with the provisions of this section, the Secretary of Health shall be empowered to prepare the plan and establish the register for account of the funds of the municipality, notifying the Secretary of the Treasury of Puerto Rico so that he may retain from the municipal funds in question the amount used for said purposes.
History —Apr. 22, 1931, No. 24, p. 228, § 39, eff. 90 days after Apr. 22, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 97 - Cemeteries (§§ 1271 — 1274) › § 1272 - Cemeteries in rural “barrios” by municipal legislatures

Municipal legislatures are empowered to establish cemeteries in rural barrios, through ordinances requiring the approval of the Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico, and in accordance with the sanitary laws and regulations in force.
History —Apr. 22, 1931, No. 24, p. 228, § 40, eff. 90 days after Apr. 22, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 97 - Cemeteries (§§ 1271 — 1274) › § 1274 - Municipal cemeteries, free of religious restrictions

All cemeteries of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico which have been constructed with municipal funds, and are at present under the administrative direction and financial control of said corporations, shall be declared free for the inhumation or exhumation of human remains without religious restrictions of any kind, subject only to the regulations of public health and civil registry; Provided, That religious ceremonies of any kind are not prohibited in any cemetery.
History —Jan. 30, 1901, p. 16, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 99 - Penal Provisions (§§ 1301 — 1302) › § 1302 - Strict enforcement

Keepers of the Registers shall, under the direction and supervision of the Secretary of Health, see to it that this part is strictly observed and complied with in the districts under their charge; they shall immediately notify the Secretary of Health of any violation of the provisions of this part which may come to their knowledge, either from personal observation or by virtue of a complaint presented by another person or entity. The Secretary of Health is hereby charged with the carrying out of the provisions of this part throughout the whole Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and he is hereby empowered to inspect the work of the registrars, alternate registrars and deputy registrars, in order that the provisions hereof may be uniformly observed. The Secretary of Health, personally or through an authorized representative, shall have authority to investigate irregularities in the service or violations of this part and he may require for the purpose the aid of the keepers of the Registers. When he may deem it necessary, he shall give notice of any violation of the provisions of this part to the corresponding prosecuting attorney setting forth the facts and circumstances in connection with each case, and the prosecuting attorney, upon receipt of such information, shall immediately proceed to institute the necessary legal proceedings against the person or persons responsible for said violations.
History —Apr. 22, 1931, No. 24, p. 228, § 43, eff. 90 days after Apr. 23, 1931.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 101 - Death Certification in Cases of Catastrophic Events (§§ 1311 — 1316) › § 1311 - Short title

This chapter shall be known as the “Death Certification in Cases of Catastrophic Events Act”.
History —Dec. 12, 1985, No. 1, p. 895, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 101 - Death Certification in Cases of Catastrophic Events (§§ 1311 — 1316) › § 1312 - Definitions

The following terms shall have the meaning stated below to the effects of this chapter:
(a) Governor. — Shall mean the Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(b) Catastrophic event. — Shall mean every serious event that occurs within the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico caused by the forces of nature, by accidents or at the hands of man, which causes loss of lives and, as a result thereof, the body or the bodies of the people involved cannot be recovered or identified.
(c) Interested party. — Shall mean every person who has a certain degree of affinity or consanguinity within the degrees established in Title 31 to determine the heirs entitled by law to a fixed portion of an originator’s estate, or that person determined by the court in each case, according to the facts being considered.
(d) Court. — Shall mean the Court of First Instance of Puerto Rico.
History —Dec. 12, 1985, No. 1, p. 895, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 101 - Death Certification in Cases of Catastrophic Events (§§ 1311 — 1316) › § 1314 - Establishment of death—Ulterior evidence of existence; annulment and effects

If after the resolution of the court on the certificate of death has become final and binding, the person presents himself or his existence is otherwise proven, a request to void said resolution may be presented, and through an ordinary civil procedure he may:
(a) Recover his estate in whatever state it is, and shall be entitled to the price for which it was sold, or to that property which was acquired with said price. He shall only be entitled to receive the income, profits or interest from the date he presents himself or his existence is made known.
(b) After the prior appearance of the Office of the Prosecutor, the court shall issue the corresponding resolution leaving the death certificate of the person so certified without effect and directing the Secretary of Health to annul the death certificate issued and revalidate the birth certificate. The Secretary of Health shall establish the pertinent rules and procedures to such effect.
History —Dec. 12, 1985, No. 1, p. 895, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 101 - Death Certification in Cases of Catastrophic Events (§§ 1311 — 1316) › § 1315 - Establishment of death—True identity of unknown victim proven

If the true identity of a person is proven after the resolution was made to certify the death and it was recorded in the Bureau of Vital Statistics of Puerto Rico as John Doe or Joan [Jane] Doe, the court shall issue the pertinent resolution directing the Secretary of Health to make the corresponding change.
History —Dec. 12, 1985, No. 1, p. 895, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 101 - Death Certification in Cases of Catastrophic Events (§§ 1311 — 1316) › § 1316 - Establishment of death—Penalties for false information or malicious silence

Any person who knows, either directly or indirectly, that the person or persons believed to be missing, or whose bodies cannot be identified as a result of a catastrophic event, are indeed alive, and in spite of that goes to the Office of the Prosecutor or to the court to give false information with the purpose of certifying the death of one or several persons, or who knowing that the person has not died and knowing that a procedure was taking place for the certification of death pursuant to this chapter does not inform it, and derives benefits from the certification of death pursuant to this chapter, or keeps silent when the case involves him, or does not inform the appearance of the person declared dead because it will benefit him shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall suffer a penalty of imprisonment for a fixed sentence of six (6) years. If there were aggravating circumstances the established fixed sentence shall be increased up to a maximum of ten (10) years; if there were extenuating circumstances it may be reduced to a minimum of four (4) years.
History —Dec. 12, 1985, No. 1, p. 895, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 102 - Act to Prohibit the Retention, Keeping on Record, and Keeping under Custody of Certified Copies of Birth Certificates (§§ 1321 — 1325) › § 1321 - Definitions

(a) Vital Statistics Registry. — Shall mean the General Registry of Vital Statistics of Puerto Rico established in the Department of Health of Puerto Rico, which shall be charged with the registry, compilation, custody, conservation, amendment and certification of vital records; the compiling of other reports required by this part; other related activities, including the tallying, analysis, and publication of vital statistics.
(b) Certified copy of birth certificate. — The document furnished by the Secretary of Health or the person authorized by him/her under § 1237 of this title, known as the “Vital Statistics Registry Act of Puerto Rico”.
(c) Entity. — Includes, but is not limited to, any natural person, public or private juridical person, agencies, municipalities, instrumentalities, organizations, associations, churches, businesses, public or private schools, public or private recreational or sports associations, and for-profit or nonprofit institutions. This term is to be interpreted broadly.
(d) Interested party. — Shall mean the registered person if age eighteen (18) or older, or the father, mother, legal representative, legal custodian or guardian, or heirs of the registered person. It shall also mean any minor who is, in turn, the parent of a minor, for whom the issue of certificates pertaining to his/her person or his/her child is authorized. “Interested party” shall also be any entity so designated by a court order.
History —Dec. 22, 2009, No. 191, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 2010.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 102 - Act to Prohibit the Retention, Keeping on Record, and Keeping under Custody of Certified Copies of Birth Certificates (§§ 1321 — 1325) › § 1322 - Prohibition

All public or private entities, other than the interested party as defined under § 1321(d) of this title, are hereby prohibited from retaining, keeping, keeping on their records, or keeping under their custody any certified copies of birth certificates issued by the Vital Statistics Registry of which the submittal has been required from any person as part of the procedures to be followed at such entities.
The text of this prohibition shall be included, clearly and conspicuously, in all certified copies of birth certificates issued by the Vital Statistics Registry.
History —Dec. 22, 2009, No. 191, § 3, eff. Jan. 1, 2010.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 102 - Act to Prohibit the Retention, Keeping on Record, and Keeping under Custody of Certified Copies of Birth Certificates (§§ 1321 — 1325) › § 1323 - Presentation of certified copies of birth certificates

For any purposes requiring certified copies of birth certificates, the presentation of such certified copies of birth certificates issued by the Vital Statistics Registry of Puerto Rico shall suffice. For record purposes, it is hereby allowed to retain, keep under custody or keep on record photocopies, in electronic or digital format, of the certified copies of birth certificates, which copy retained shall attest that the same is a true and exact copy of the certified copy of the birth certificate. However, by no means and under no circumstance shall certified copies of birth certificates, as defined in this chapter, be retained.
History —Dec. 22, 2009, No. 191, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 2010.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 102 - Act to Prohibit the Retention, Keeping on Record, and Keeping under Custody of Certified Copies of Birth Certificates (§§ 1321 — 1325) › § 1324 - Penalties and liability for damages

Any entity engaging in actions contrary to the provisions set forth herein shall incur a misdemeanor.
Furthermore, any entity shall be held civilly liable for the total damages caused to any interested party that have arisen as a consequence of infringing the provisions of this chapter.
History —Dec. 22, 2009, No. 191, § 5, eff. Jan. 1, 2010.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART IV - Vital Statistics Registry (§§ 1041 — 1325) › Chapter 102 - Act to Prohibit the Retention, Keeping on Record, and Keeping under Custody of Certified Copies of Birth Certificates (§§ 1321 — 1325) › § 1325 - Invalidation or nullity of certified copies of birth certificates

All certified copies of birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010, shall be null and shall have no effect whatsoever for any purpose for which the same were requested, after September 30, 2010. This provision shall not be interpreted to void any procedures initiated prior to the expiration date provided for in this section, for which certified copies of birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010, are being validly used.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Governor of Puerto Rico may, by means of an Executive Order and for justified cause, extend such effective term for certified copies of birth certificates for an additional term of thirty (30) days.
History —Dec. 22, 2009, No. 191, § 6; June 25, 2010, No. 68, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART V - Controlled Substances (§§ 2101 — 2608) › Chapter 111 - Controlled Substances Act of Puerto Rico (§§ 2101 — 2608) › Subchapter I - Short Title and Definitions (§§ 2101 — 2102) › § 2101 - Title

This chapter shall be known as the Controlled Substances Act of Puerto Rico.
History —June 23, 1971, No. 4, p. 526, § 101.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART V - Controlled Substances (§§ 2101 — 2608) › Chapter 111 - Controlled Substances Act of Puerto Rico (§§ 2101 — 2608) › Subchapter III - Registration of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Dispensers of Controlled Substances (§§ 2301 — 2311) › § 2301 - Rules and regulations

The Secretary of Health shall approve such rules and regulations as may be necessary for the control of the manufacture, distribution, and dispensing of controlled substances and shall charge the reasonable fees to be paid for the registration as required under § 2302 of this title.
History —June 23, 1971, No. 4, p. 526, § 301, eff. 180 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART V - Controlled Substances (§§ 2101 — 2608) › Chapter 111 - Controlled Substances Act of Puerto Rico (§§ 2101 — 2608) › Subchapter III - Registration of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Dispensers of Controlled Substances (§§ 2301 — 2311) › § 2305 - Labeling and packaging requirement

(a) It shall be unlawful to distribute a controlled substance in a commercial container unless said container bears a label as defined in § 201(k) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act containing an identifying symbol for such substance in accordance with the regulations of the Secretary of Health. A different symbol shall be required for each schedule of controlled substances.
(b) It shall be unlawful for the manufacturer of any controlled substance to distribute such substance unless the labeling of such substance contains, when and as required by this chapter, the identifying symbol required under subsection (a) of this section.
(c) The label of the container of a substance listed in Schedules II, III or IV must contain, when dispensed to or for a patient, a clear and concise warning that it is a crime to transfer said substance to another person.
The professional authorized to dispense any controlled substance listed in this chapter shall indicate [on] the label to be fixed on the container, among other information, the following:
(1) The name, telephone number and address of the professional establishment.
(2) The serial number corresponding to the prescription, as well as the date [on] which it was filled and its date of expiration.
(3) The name and surname of the patient.
(4) Instruction about the use for the patient, as recommended by the physician.
(5) The name of the professional who issued the prescription.
(6) The name of the medication, its strength and the lot number.
(d) The professional authorized to dispatch any of the controlled substances included in this chapter must orient and provide the patient with a printed summary to include warnings concerning the incorrect use and the side effects of the product [dispatched]. This measure shall apply to all medications, except for hospitals that provide medications to hospitalized patients.
(e) It shall be unlawful to distribute controlled substances in Schedule I or II, and narcotic drugs in Schedule III or IV, unless the bottle or other container, stopper, covering, or wrapper thereof is securely sealed as required by regulations of the Secretary of Health.
History —June 23, 1971, No. 4, p. 526, § 305; Aug. 15, 1999, No. 239, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART V - Controlled Substances (§§ 2101 — 2608) › Chapter 111 - Controlled Substances Act of Puerto Rico (§§ 2101 — 2608) › Subchapter III - Registration of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Dispensers of Controlled Substances (§§ 2301 — 2311) › § 2309 - Sales or transfer of all stocks of controlled substances from a pharmacy or established business

For the sale or transfer in any manner of the controlled substances in stock, appertaining to a pharmacy or established business, authorized by law, and connected with the distribution or dispensing of controlled substances, the procedures set forth in the following subsections shall be observed.
(a) The vendor shall notify the Secretary of Health of his purpose of selling and shall request authorization to transfer the stocks of controlled substances to the purchaser, including for such purpose, a sworn inventory of the substances to be transferred.
(b) After the Secretary of Health has authorized the transfer, the delivery shall be made before an officer of the Department of Health duly authorized therefor, in accordance with the regulation approved by the Secretary of Health.
History —June 23, 1971, No. 4, p. 526, § 309, eff. 180 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART V - Controlled Substances (§§ 2101 — 2608) › Chapter 111 - Controlled Substances Act of Puerto Rico (§§ 2101 — 2608) › Subchapter III - Registration of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Dispensers of Controlled Substances (§§ 2301 — 2311) › § 2310 - Confidential character of reports and documents

(a) Public document and inspections. —
(1) The reports, statements, registrations or any other document rendered by virtue of the provisions of this chapter shall become public documents; but except as hereinafter provided they shall be available for inspection only by rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Health.
(2) When a report, statement, registration or a document of any kind is open to inspection by any person there shall be issued, upon request, a certified duplicate of same, subject to the rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Health. Said Secretary may prescribe reasonable fees for furnishing such duplicate.
(b) Inspection by legislative committees—
(1) Committee on Health and Welfare and special committees— The Secretary of Health and any officer or employee of the Department of Health, upon request of the Committee on Health and Welfare of the House of Representatives, of the Committee on Health and Welfare of the Senate, or a special committee of the Senate or of the House especially authorized to investigate the documents above-mentioned by resolution of the Senate or of the House, or a joint committee so authorized by a concurrent resolution, shall furnish to such committee convened in executive session any information of any nature contained or expressed in such documents.
(2) Any one of the committees referred to above, either acting directly as a committee or through the inspectors or agents that it may designate or appoint, shall be empowered to inspect any or all documents at any time and in any manner as it may determine.
(3) Any information so obtained by the Committee may be submitted to the Senate or to the House or to the Senate and the House, as the case may be.
(c) Nondisclosure of its contents. — No officer or employee of the Department of Health shall disclose or shall make known under any circumstances, except in accordance with this chapter, the information contained in the reports, statements, registrations or other documents inspected by, or furnished to the Secretary of Health, nor shall he permit the examination or inspection of same by persons not lawfully authorized. Every officer or employee who violates this provision shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by the penalty provided in § 2409 of this title.
History —June 23, 1971, No. 4, p. 526, § 310, eff. 180 days after June 23, 1971.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FOUR - Health and Sanitation (§§ 1 — 15010) › PART V - Controlled Substances (§§ 2101 — 2608) › Chapter 111 - Controlled Substances Act of Puerto Rico (§§ 2101 — 2608) › Subchapter III - Registration of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Dispensers of Controlled Substances (§§ 2301 — 2311) › § 2311 - Duty to report

The Secretary of Health shall have the duty and responsibility of reporting to the Secretary of Justice and to the Police Superintendent all violations of this chapter that they may know of, except when dealing with purely technical violations.
History —June 23, 1971, No. 4, p. 526, § 311, eff. 180 days after June 23, 1971.