Ley 1 del 1981
Resumen
Esta ley enmienda la Ley Núm. 17 de 1968 para aumentar el límite de la garantía del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico sobre los bonos emitidos por la Autoridad de Edificios Públicos, de $450 millones a $650 millones. El propósito es financiar la construcción y remodelación de edificios públicos esenciales como oficinas gubernamentales, escuelas, hospitales y cuarteles, comprometiendo la buena fe y el crédito del Estado para su pago.
Contenido
(P. de la C. 116)
Para enmendar el Título y el Artículo 1 de la Ley Número 17 del 11 de abril de 1968, según enmendada, aumentando el límite de la garantía del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, de cuatrocientos cincuenta millones de dólares ( $450,000,000 ) a seiscientos cincuenta millones de dólares ( $650,000,000 ).
EXPOSICION DE MOTIVOS
La Autoridad de Edificios Públicos es una instrumentalidad pública del Estado Libre Asociado, creada mediante la Ley Número 56, aprobada el 19 de junio de 1958. Originalmente su creación obedeció a la necesidad de proveer facilidades adecuadas de planta física para oficinas gubernamentales. Posteriormente mediante acción legislativa se ampliaron los deberes de la Autoridad incluyéndose la responsabilidad de proveer también facilidades de planta física para escuelas, cuarteles, tribunales, almacenes, talleres y hospitales.
El programa de diseño y construcción desarrollados y desarrollándose, envuelve un promedio de 325 proyectos con una inversión de foridos sobre $620,568,454. Además, hay 147 proyectos en programación con un costo estimado de más de $226,640,000.
Entre estos 147 proyectos está la ampliación y remodelación del Hospital Dr. Gándara de Ponce a un costo estimado de $35,000,000 para el cual ya se trabaja en estudios y en el programa.
La política pública del Estado Libre Asociado está encaminada a resolver en un corto plazo la falta de planta física existente, de tal forma que el gobierno pueda contar con las facilidades necesarias para la solución de los diferentes problemas que aquejan a nuestro pueblo. A este Gobierno le urge poner al servicio de nuestro pueblo edificaciones modernas que funcionalmente llenen las necesidades presentes y futuras para el establecimiento de oficinas gubernamentales, facilidades escolares, hospitales y de otro tipo de edificios públicos.
El programa de diseño y construcción de edificios públicos que desarrolla y que eventualmente se ampliará por la Autoridad se
bonos no fueren suficientes para el pago de tal principal o interés a su vencimiento, ni para mantener el fondo de reservas para los bonos que la Autoridad se haya comprometido a mantener, el Secretario de Hacienda retirará de cualesquiera fondos disponibles en el Tesoro de Puerto Rico, aquellas sumas que sean necesarias para cubrir la deficiencia en la suma requerida para el pago de tal principal e interés y para resarcir dicho fondo de reserva máximo requerido acordado por la Autoridad y ordenará que las sumas retiradas sean aplicadas a tal pago y propósito. Para los propósitos de esta Sección, no se considerarán como en circulación bajo las disposiciones de la Resolución o Resoluciones mediante las cuales se emitieron para efectuar tales pagos, la buena fe y el crédito del Estado Libre Asociado quedan por la presente empeñados."
Sección 3.- Esta Ley empezará a regir inmediatamente después de su aprobación.
Presidente de la Cámara
Presidente del Senado
Departamento de Estado CERTIFICO: qun es roria fiel y exacta del orl:inel aprobado y fir- mado por el Cibornador del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico el dia 27. de mayr.... de 19.81
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
CAPITOL BUILDING
P.O. BOX 7986
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO 00904
March 1, 1982
Juan R. Melecio, Director of the Office of Legislative Services of the Legislature of Puerto Rico, hereby certifies to the Secretary of State that he has duly compared the English and Spanish texts of Act No. 1 (H.B. 116) of the First Spc. Session of the 9 th Legislature of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, entitled: AN ACT to amend the Title and Section 1 of Act Number 17 of April 11, 1968 as amended, increasing the limit of the warranty of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, from four hundred and fifty million dollars $($ 450,000,000)$ to six hundred fifty million dollars $($ 650,000,000)$, and finds the same are complete, true and correct versions of each other.
(H.B. 116) (No. 1) (Approved May 27, 1981) AN ACT
To amend the Title and Section 1 of Act Number 17 of April 11, 1968 as amended, increasing the limit of the warranty of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, from four hundred and fifty million dollars ( $450,000,000 ) to six hundred fifty million dollars $($ 650,000,000)$.
STATEMENT OF MOTIVES
The Public Buildings Authority is a public instrumentality of the Commonwealth, created under Act No. 56, approved June 19, 1958. Originally, it was created because of the need to provide adequate public buildings for government offices. Subsequently, through legislative action, the duties of the Authority were extended to include the responsibility of providing buildings for schools, police stations, courts, warehouses, workshops and hospitals.
The designing and construction program which has been and is still being developed, involves an average of 325 projects with an investment of over $620,568,454. There are also 147 projects which are being planned at an estimated
cost of more than $226,640,000. Among these 147 projects is the extension and remodeling of Dr. Gândara Hospital in Ponce at an estimated cost of $35,000,000 for which studies have been made and the program has already been started.
The public policy of the Commonwealth is directed towards finding a short-term solution to the existing problem of lack of public buildings, so that the government may have the facilities needed to solve the different problems which affect our people. This Government urgently needs to place at the service of its people, modern buildings that will fill the present and future needs for the establishment of government offices, school facilities, hospitals and other types of public buildings.
The public building designing and construction program which is being developed and will be, eventually extended by the Authority, is fundamentally based on these principles. For such purposes, it is essential to provide the Public Buildings Authority with the financing mechanisms and facilities needed to launch said programs.
In order to provide these mechanisms, it is necessary to again amend Section 1 of Act No. 17 of April 11, 1968, since the maximum limit of the warranty which is of four hundred
fifty million dollars ( $450,000,000 ), was reached when the last issue of Authority bonds was produced.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF PUERTO RICO:
Section 1.- The Title of Act No. 17 of April 11, 1968 as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: "To provide for the warranting by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico of payment of the principal and interest of any kind of bonds, not to exceed six hundred fifty million dollars ( $650,000,000 ) issued or outstanding by the Public Buildings Authority to be used for any of the purposes of said Authority; to establish the scope of said warranty; to maintain a reserve fund by said Authority refundable by the Secretary of the Treasury; and to extend said warranty to cover premiums and interest accrued in regard to said bonds."
Section 2.- Section 1 of Act No. 17 of April 11, 1968 as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 1.- The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico hereby warrants payment of the principal and interest of bonds which are outstanding at any given time in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding six hundred and fifty million dollars ( $650,000,000 )
issued from time to time by the Public Buildings Authority for any of its purposes authorized by law. The bonds covered by this warranty shall be those specified by the Authority, and a statement of such warranty shall be set forth on the face of such bonds. If at any time the revenues, or income, and any other moneys of the Authority, pledged for the payment of the principal and interest of such bonds, are not sufficient for the payment of such principal and interest when they fall due, nor to maintain the reserve fund for the bonds that the Authority has pledged itself to maintain, the Secretary of the Treasury shall draw from any funds available in the Treasury of Puerto Rico, such sums as may be necessary to cover the deficiency in the amount required for the payment of such principal and interest and to compensate the sum used from said maximum reserve fund as required and agreed upon by the Authority; and he shall direct that the sums so drawn be applied to such payment and purpose. For the purposes of this Section, such bonds shall not be considered as outstanding under the provisions of the Resolution or Resolutions through which they were issued. The good faith and credit of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, are hereby pledged for such payments."
Section 3.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.