Esta ley otorga un aumento salarial de cien (100) dólares mensuales a los empleados públicos del Gobierno Central de Puerto Rico, efectivo a partir del 1 de julio de 2002. Establece las condiciones para recibir el aumento, la forma de financiamiento y las dependencias y agencias excluidas de la aplicación de la ley.
(H. B. 2634) (Reconsidered) (No. 96) (Approved July 1, 2002)
To grant a raise in salary of one hundred (100) dollars to public employees of the Central Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, effective July $1^{ ext {st }}, 2002$.
Puerto Rico has thousands of upstanding and responsible public servants who day by day devote their lives to serving our people and pursue the welfare of all Puerto Ricans. The public servant of the $21^{ ext {st }}$ century embodies the honesty and dignity of work, and therefore, enjoys the trust of this Administration.
Likewise, this Administration is aware of the sacrifice of public servants, who work relentlessly to provide a service of excellence to citizens, in exchange for a remuneration that leads to a life of limitations. Even so, these men and women who honor the public service continue to serve the people of Puerto Rico selflessly and devotedly.
In the eighties, a new direction was being developed as to the public policy on salaries and fringe benefits for public employees, with the purpose of matching them with those of private sector employees to the extent allowed by public resources. Conforming to this public policy, legislation has been approved in the past to grant public employees general raises in salary, raises in the employer contribution for the payment of health plan premiums, and
raises allowed under Act No. 89 of July 12, 1979, as amended, known as the "Uniform Compensation Act," among others. Various groups have also received salary raises by the approval of special laws, as is the case with police officers and teachers.
It is the intent of this Administration and of this Legislature to recognize the hard work of these public employees in advancing the quality and efficiency of our public administration.
Therefore, even with the financial hardships we are facing, and in recognition of the various groups that represent the government labor sector, it is imperative to do justice to our public employees by granting them a salary raise of one hundred (100) dollars a month to those employees who meet the conditions established further.
Section 1.- The raises granted under this Act shall be as follows:
(a) One hundred (100) dollars a month as salary raise to public employees who as of June 30, 2002, are in active service, without distinction as to their status or category. When the services in a particular position are rendered part-time, the raise shall be granted in proportion to the hours worked. Those employees related to the service who are not in active service as of July $1^{ ext {st }}, 2002$, shall be entitled to the raise effective on the date they return to the service. The raise in salary shall be granted even if the employee is earning a salary equal or over the maximum rate of the schedule, or if the salary exceeds said rate with the raise. Said raise will not affect the retribution margin enjoyed by employees for salary improvement, nor shall the schedule be adjusted. Provided, that personnel actions taken after the date of effectiveness of this raise shall be processed
pursuant to the norms issued by the Central Labor Advisory and Human Resource Administration Office, in conformance to Act No. 89 of July 12, 1979, as amended, known as "Uniform Compensation Act," and Uniform Compensation Regulations.
(b) One hundred (100) dollars to employees organized into unions under Act No. 45 of February 25, 1998, as amended, included into appropriate units of which the result of the formula under Section 7.5 of the aforementioned law is zero or a negative number. Those appropriate units whose formula results in a positive number, but under one hundred (100) dollars, shall receive a raise equal to the difference between one hundred (100) dollars and the result of said formula.
Section 2.- The cost of the salary raise intended herein shall be defrayed by funds to be provided through reimbursement by the Office of Budget and Management, chargeable to the appropriations that for such a purpose were included in the General Budget Joint Resolution. However, said reimbursement shall only cover the salaries that are defrayed with resources from the General Fund. It is hereby provided that public employees who according to the dates established herein qualify for this raise but are paid with other funds, shall receive the same raises chargeable to the special federal and commonwealth funds from which they are paid. The agencies for which public employees of this kind are working shall make the corresponding adjustments in said funds in order to grant the salary raises pursuant to the provisions of this Section.
Section 3.- To obtain the reimbursement Section 2 of this Act refers to, every agency that defrays said raises with resources from the General Fund shall submit to the Office of Management and Budget a certified account
which includes the name of the employee, social security number, job classification, the date on which he or she began to work there, salary earned, and total cost for the agency of the raise granted. Said certification shall be received at the Office of Management and Budget not later than September $1^{ ext {st }}, 2002$.
Section 4.- The following public dependencies and agencies are hereby excluded from the provisions of this Act: (1) the University of Puerto Rico; (2) public corporations that have express authority to execute collective bargaining agreements under the provisions of Act No. 130 of May 8, 1945, as amended; (3) police officers of the Puerto Rico Police; (4) personnel under the Rank System of the Puerto Rico Firefighters Corps; (5) municipal employees and/or those who render services to the municipalities; (6) public employees covered under Act No. 45 of February 25, 1998, as amended, included into appropriate units of which the result of the formula under Section 7.5 of the above-cited law is equal or greater than one hundred (100) dollars a month.
Section 5.- The raises granted by this Act shall be effective as of July $1^{ ext {st }}$, 2002.
Section 6.- The salary raises granted by this Act will not have the effect of interrupting time for an employee entitled to a raise for years of service.
Section 7.- Any provision of law which is in conflict with the provisions of this Act shall be rendered ineffective while this Act is applicable.
Section 8.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 96 (H.B. 2634) (Reconsidered) of the $3^{ ext {rd }}$. Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to grant a raise in salary of one hundred (100) dollars to public employees of the Central Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, effective July $1^{ ext {st }}, 2002$, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $3^{ ext {th }}$ of February of 2004.
Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director