Esta ley enmienda la "Children's Trust Act" para ampliar el uso de los fondos del acuerdo con la industria tabacalera. Ahora, además de iniciativas para niños y jóvenes, los fondos pueden destinarse a promover el bienestar de las familias puertorriqueñas, mejorar la calidad de vida y el desarrollo integral de los ciudadanos. También se autoriza a la Junta de Directores a determinar los usos específicos de los fondos para estos fines.
(S. B. 976) (Conference)
No. 6 (Approved January 4, 2002)
To amend Section 2 and subsections
(g) and
(j) of Section 3, as well as Section 5 of Act No. 173 of July 30, 1999, as amended, known as the "Children's Trust Act", in order to authorize the Board of Directors to extend the uses of the Trust to promote the welfare of Puerto Rican families, a better quality of life and foster the welfare of children and youths, as determined by the Board of Directors.
The Children's Trust Act was approved with the original purpose to use the funds that Puerto Rico would receive from the Global Settlement Agreement with the tobacco industry, to support education, health and recreational initiatives that promote the welfare of children and youths. These funds shall be assigned pursuant to the Children's Trust Act to the programs and initiatives of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to a benefited agency that meets the requirements established in this Act and in the regulations to be promulgated pursuant to said Act.
This Administration has determined that the welfare of our children and youths cannot be promoted unless there is an environment that propitiates this welfare, including with priority, their own families. The access to better facilities of physical plants and technological and school resources for their education should be promoted, as well as the development of recreational facilities that stimulate the participation of the family.
To improve the use of the funds from the Global Settlement Agreement, so that they are available for the integral development of our citizenry and their quality of life, the purposes and definitions of the Children's Trust Act should be broadened.
Section 1.- Section 2 of Act No. 173 of July 30, 1999, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 2.- Purposes.- It is necessary to minimize the impact that the promotion of the use of tobacco has had upon our children and youth and its damaging effects on their health. This Act establishes a Special Trust Fund so that the People of Puerto Rico may benefit from the funds proceeding from the Global Settlement Agreement between the States and the tobacco industry.
This initiative shall sponsor those projects and programs addressed to promote the welfare of the Puerto Rican families, a better quality of life, the integral development of the citizens and the welfare of children and youths. It shall also promote projects and programs that improve the access to health services, improving services, including orientation and prevention of health problems, and physical health facilities; projects and programs that improve physical facilities and safety of schools, be it through new construction or improvements to the existing facilities, the development of technological educational programs and traditional and recreational educational material. It shall also promote programs and projects for improvements to recreational facilities and that extend said services for a greater participation of families, children and youths."
Section 2.- Subsections
(g) and
(j) of Section 3 of Act No. 173 of July 30, 1999, as amended, are hereby amended to read as follows:
"Section 3.- Definitions The following terms, whenever used or mentioned in this Act, shall have the meaning stated below, except when the context clearly indicates another:
(a) ...
(g) "Government" shall mean the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, including all its subdivisions, agencies, public corporations and municipalities. "Trust Projects" shall mean those initiatives of the Government or of a benefited entity, that the Board of Directors determines that they promote projects and programs that improve the quality of life of families, children and youths."
Section 3.- The first and third paragraph of Section 5 of Act No. 173 of July 30, 1999, as amended are hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 5.- Board of Directors of the Trust.- The powers of the Trust shall be exercised by a Board of Directors which shall be constituted by seven (7) members. Four (4) of the members of the Board of Directors shall be ex officio members: the Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the President of the Bank, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Secretary of Justice and three (3) private citizens as representatives of the public interest. The Governor shall designate the Chairperson from among its members. At least two (2) of the private citizens must have experience in the fields of health and education. The representatives of the public interest shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate of Puerto Rico for a term of four (4) years and until their successors are designated. The representatives of
the public interest shall observe the same standards of ethics required from those officials who hold similar offices and shall comply with the laws that apply to them.
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico may delegate his/her participation in the Board of Directors on a representative. The President of the Bank, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget as well as the Secretary of Justice may delegate their representation on the Board of Directors in exceptional or force majeure cases, which shall not exceed five (5) times a year."
Section 4.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
Rolando Quevedo-Motta, Esq., 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. 6 (S.B. 976) (Conference) of the $2^{ ext {nd }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico, entitled:
AN ACT to amend Section 2 and subsections
(g) and
(j) of Section 3, as well as Section 5 of Act No. 173 of July 30, 1999, as amended, known as the "Children's Trust Act", in order to authorize the Board of Directors to extend the uses of the Trust to promote the welfare of Puerto Rican families, a better quality of life and foster the welfare of children and youths, as determined by the Board of Directors, and finds the same are complete, true and correct versions of each other.
Rolando Quevedo-Motta