Ley 168 del 2001
Resumen
Esta ley enmienda la Ley Núm. 42 de 19 de junio de 1971 para aumentar el bono anual a los trabajadores agrícolas elegibles, designar la agencia responsable del pago (Administración de Servicios y Desarrollo Agropecuario) y asignar los fondos necesarios. Establece un aumento gradual del bono mínimo y máximo, y detalla el proceso de reclamación.
Contenido
(H.B. 1011) (Conference) (No. 168) (Approved December 1, 2001)
AN ACT
To amend subsection
(a) of Section 2; Section 4 and subsection
(a) of Section 6 of Act No. 42 of June 19, 1971, as amended, in order to grant an increase in the payment of the annual bonus to eligible farm workers, designate the agency responsible for the payment and to appropriate the funds.
STATEMENT OF MOTIVES
Act No. 42 of June 19, 1971, as amended, granted an annual bonus to farm workers of not les than fifty (50) dollars, or four (4) percent of their annual income, whichever amount is higher, up to a maximum of eighty (80) dollars for each worker.
The purpose of this measure is to grant an increase to farm workers in successive steps to not less than one hundred (100) dollars, or four (4) percent of the annual income, whichever amount is higher, up to a maximum of one hundred and fifty (150) dollars for each worker.
The main purpose of this Act is to induce farm workers to continue working in agriculture, in order to reduce the lack of manpower that affects agriculture negatively, as well as to improve their quality of life, since the income and the annual bonus they receive now is not attune to their financial situation, due to the rise in the cost of living. Legislating with the abovestated purposes, constitutes a measure of social justice.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF PUERTO RICO:
Section 1.- Subsection
(a) of Section 2 of Act No 42 of June 19, 1971, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 2.-
(a) A annual bonus shall be granted during fiscal year 2001-2002, not less than one hundred (100) dollars, or (4) percent of the annual income of the farm worker, whichever amount is higher, up to a maximum of one hundred and thirty (130) dollars per worker, and as of fiscal year 2002-2003, the annual bonus shall not be less than one hundred and thirty (130) dollars, or four (4) percent of the annual income of the worker, whichever amount is higher, up to a maximum of two hundred (200) dollars, except as set forth in Section 11 of this Act, regarding the payment of the first bonus."
Section 2.- Section 4 of Act No. 42 of June 19, 1971, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 4.- The Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, through the Agriculture and Livestock Services and Development Administration, an agency attached to the Department of Agriculture, shall pay the bonus established by this Act no later than December 5 of the corresponding year, to eligible farm workers according to the reports that are referred to in Section 5 of this Act."
Section 3.- Subsection
(a) of Section 6 of Act No. 42 of June 19, 1971, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Section 6.-
(a) The claim of farm workers regarding the rights granted by this Act, shall be investigated by the Department of Agriculture, Provided, that every farm worker who does not receive the annual bonus in December, may claim the payment thereof until March 31 of the following year.
(b) Section 4.- In order to comply with the purposes of this Act in fiscal year 2001-2002, the Livestock Services and Development Administration, shall make the necessary adjustments to the present budget for 2001-2002, to grant the bonus specified in Section 1 of this Act. In subsequent years, the resources or funds needed for the purposes of this Act shall be consigned in the Livestock Services and Development Administration, an Agency attached to the Department of Agriculture, chargeable to the Integral Fund for Agricultural Development (FIDA, Spanish acronym).
Section 5.- This Act shall take effect July 1, 2001, and the payment of the bonus shall be distributed in the month of December of the year 2001.
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 168 (H.B. 1011) (Conference) of the $2^{ ext {nd }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend subsection
(a) of Section 2; Section 4 and subsection
(a) of Section 6 of Act No. 42 of June 19, 1971, as amended, in order to grant an increase in the payment of the annual bonus to eligible farm workers, designate the agency responsible for the payment and to appropriate the funds, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $20^{ ext {th }}$ of November of 2003.
Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director