2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 14C - Manos Pal’ Campo Act (§§ 322 — 322e) › § 322b - Responsibilities of the agencies

(a) Department of Labor and Human Resources.— For the purpose of implementing the public policy set forth herein and to achieve the objectives of the “Manos Pal Campo Act”, these agencies shall have the following functions and objectives:
(1) To create and maintain a statistics system that affords the highest level of accuracy in terms of the availability of local workers for coffee harvesting and to determine, with the same accuracy, the need for foreign workers.
(2) To take administrative measures as may be necessary for the enforcement of this chapter and to develop state plans in accordance with federal regulations to assist farmers with filling out forms and requests for foreign workers when the approval of such type of workforce is needed.
(3) To provide orientation and training to officers of the agencies, municipalities, and applicant farmers on the regulatory and legal implications that hiring foreign workers entail, as well as oversee the faithful compliance thereof.
(4) To coordinate the maximum use of local workers with the Department of Agriculture and, if necessary, the use of foreign workers to guarantee the maximum profitability of agricultural operations with the workforce needed.
(5) To establish the necessary norms and regulations to include foreign workers in the agricultural workforce, and for their placement services to be provided in a swift and streamlined manner, pursuant to the requirements of the applicable federal laws.
(b) Department of Agriculture.—
(1) To assist the Department of Labor and Human Resources in the development of annual estimates regarding the need of workers for coffee harvesting and estimates for foreign workers.
(2) To provide orientation to farmers on the programs and benefits available for hiring local workers, and the programs and conditions for the use of foreign workers.
(3) To coordinate the maximum use of local workers with the Department of Labor and Human Resources and, if necessary, the use of foreign workers to guarantee the maximum profitability of agricultural operations with the workforce needed.
(4) To establish the necessary norms and regulations to include foreign workers in the agricultural workforce, and for their placement services to be provided in a swift and streamlined manner, pursuant to the requirements of the applicable federal laws.
(5) To ensure that the Commonwealth’s resources available for the promotion of local workers are not affected by the inclusion of foreign ones, and that the same are used in the most effective manner in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.
(6) To carry out and sponsor activities that facilitate and promote coffee picking as a way to support thousands of farmers, their families, and municipalities of the mountain region, which shall benefit from picking 100% of their harvest, be it by Puerto Rican hands or with the help of foreign farm hands.
(c) Department of State.—
(1) To adopt the necessary measures to allow interaction between the Commonwealth and the Federal Government in the exercise of the powers and faculties granted by this chapter.
(2) Full participation of Puerto Rican farmers in the federal immigration programs and the fair attention and protection of foreign workers, pursuant to the provisions of laws in effect.
History —Mar. 30, 2011, No. 38, § 4.