2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-THREE - Public Planning and Development (§§ 1 — 11273) › PART IX - Economic Development II (§§ 11001 — 11273) › Chapter 252 - Jobs Now Act (§§ 11021 — 11025) › Subchapter II - Alternate Permit Evaluation and Granting Process (§§ 11022 — 11022l) › § 11022b - Administrative structure for evaluating and granting permits

The Permit Management Office shall be the only agency authorized to grant such permits and responsible for implementing the new permit process provided in this subchapter, by adopting and issuing the corresponding regulations and administrative orders. To achieve such purposes, the aforementioned Office shall enter into an interagency agreement to carry out the alternate permit granting process with the Trade and Export Company and the Industrial Development Company to ensure the swiftness necessary to attain the purposes of this act. This new process shall take effect within a term of fifteen (15) days after the approval of this act, which term shall not be extended.
For purposes of this chapter, this new permit process shall apply to Autonomous Municipalities with I to V granted hierarchy that have their own Permit Offices and the required hierarchy to grant the permits contemplated in this streamlined process, unless such autonomous municipalities issue a written communication to the Permit Management Office within five (5) business days after the approval of this act, stating their intent to opt out of the streamlined process. Its applicability shall be based on the hierarchy and authority delegated to such autonomous municipality. The authorities and permits that have not been delegated to the autonomous municipalities shall be retained by the Permit Management Office under the regular General Permit Process. Any autonomous municipality opting out of the streamlined process shall adjust its permit process to comply with the provisions of this subchapter within five (5) days after having exercised such option. In addition, any autonomous municipality that fails to submit the written communication to the Permit Management Office as provided in this section, waives the right to require additional municipal permits to eligible businesses opting for the streamlined permit process under this chapter, during the effective date thereof, with respect to subsequent renewals of the permits issued in accordance with the provisions set forth herein.
Eligible business opting for the streamlined permit process under this subchapter shall fill out the form provided by the Trade and Export Company for statistical purposes.
In the administrative context, the Permit Management Office shall use the electronic information system available in the Office. However, it shall create a new website to be known as the “Permits under the Jobs Now Act,” to expedite the permit evaluation and granting process, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
Sections 9011 et seq. of this title, known as the “Permit Process Reform Act,” shall be applied in a supplementary manner to every matter, insofar as it is consistent with the provisions and spirit of this chapter, and to the extent it does not contravene the new procedures and permits established in this subchapter. Among the provisions that would apply are the definition of terms, discretionary permits, and agency recommendations, to name a few. The provisions of §§ 9011 et seq. of this title related to authorized professionals and authorized inspectors shall apply to the permit process established in this subchapter. The only entity empowered to grant general permits is the Permit Management Office or the autonomous municipality which has adopted it and opts out of the streamlined process provided in this subchapter.
History —Jan. 10, 2013, No. 1, § 2.3.