Esta ley enmienda la Ley Núm. 430 de 21 de diciembre de 2000, conocida como la "Ley de Navegación y Seguridad Acuática de Puerto Rico", para prohibir la operación de cualquier vehículo de motor terrestre en las áreas de playa reservadas para bañistas, no solo los vehículos todoterreno, y establece las penalidades correspondientes. Se exceptúan los vehículos de emergencia y de agencias de seguridad.
(Approved June 27, 2003)
To amend Section 7, subsection 10, item
(k) of Act No. 430 of December 21, 2000, known as the "Puerto Rico Navigation and Aquatic Safety Act," to include all land motor vehicles in the prohibition on operating cross-country vehicles on land areas of beaches reserved for bathers, and to set forth penalties.
Act No. 430 of December 21, 2000, sets forth in Section 7 (10)
(k) that "Any natural or juridical person that operates a cross-country vehicle on land areas of beaches reserved for bathers without the corresponding permit, shall incur a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished with a fine of five hundred (500) dollars."
The elements that constitute the misdemeanor are: (1) operating crosscountry vehicles (2) without authorization, (3) in land areas of beaches reserved for bathers. However, it does not take into consideration those motor vehicles that, although they are not cross-country vehicles, are capable of accessing said public beaches, weather due to the vehicle's structure itself, or due to the characteristics of the beach, which make it accessible to any type of vehicle.
This Act remedies the aforementioned gap by including in the prohibition any land motor vehicle. In this manner, the legislative intent is clarified and the public policy of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
regarding the protection and maintenance of our natural resources and recreational areas.
Section 1.-Section 7, subsection 10, item
(k) of Act No. 430 of December 21, 2000, known as the "Puerto Rico Navigation and Aquatic Safety Act," is hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 7. - Marine and Aquatic Safety The following shall be established to propitiate the proper regulations on the various aspects of marine and aquatic safety: (1) $\ldots$ (2) $\ldots$ (3) $\ldots$ (10) The following shall be identified as actions by police officers, and penalties for violations:
(a) $\ldots$
(b) $\ldots$
(c) $\ldots$
(k) Any natural or juridical person that operates any land motor vehicle without the corresponding permit, exempting from the prohibition those vehicles used for emergencies or by the security agencies, such as the Puerto Rico Police, the Rangers Corps, the Medical Emergency Corps, the Municipal Police, and other similar agencies, on land areas of public beaches and other areas reserved for bathers of Public Beaches (PP,
Spanish acronym) as defined in the Puerto Rico Zoning Regulation, with the exception of parking areas, shall incur a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished with a fine of five hundred (500) dollars. (1) $\qquad$
(m) ..." Section 2.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 153 (H.B. 2575) of the $5^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend Section 7, subsection 10, item
(k) of Act No. 430 of December 21, 2000, known as the "Puerto Rico Navigation and Aquatic Safety Act," to include all land motor vehicles in the prohibition on operating cross-country vehicles on land areas of beaches reserved for bathers, and to set forth penalties, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $15^{ ext {th }}$ of April of 2004.
Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director