Esta ley otorga un bono de medicamentos exento de impuestos de cien (100) dólares anuales a los pensionados del Sistema de Retiro de los Empleados del Gobierno de Puerto Rico y sus Instrumentalidades, así como a los pensionados o beneficiarios de cualquier otra ley administrada por dicho Sistema, con la excepción de aquellos bajo la Ley Núm. 305 de 24 de septiembre de 1999. Establece que los fondos para este bono provendrán del Presupuesto General de Gastos del Estado Libre Asociado para los pensionados del Gobierno Central y jueces retirados, y de las corporaciones públicas y municipios para sus respectivos pensionados.
(Approved June 27, 2003)
To grant a tax exempt Medications Bonus for pensioners of the Employees Retirement System of the Government of Puerto Rico and its Instrumentalities and for the pensioners or beneficiaries of any other Act administered by the Administrator of the Employees Retirement System of the Government of Puerto Rico and its Instrumentalities, with the exception of pensioners under the provisions set forth by Act No. 305 of September 24, 1999, and to provide the source of financing for the payment of said bonus.
Government pensioners have dedicated most of their lives to serve the country with honesty and dedication. These employees have rendered services of quality and excellence, with high human and ethic values.
It is hereby acknowledged that with time, the increase in the cost of living entails a relative decrease in the value of the annuities received by our pensioners. This worsens when they reach more advanced ages, when our pensioners depend more upon the consumption of medications to maintain their good health. Therefore, it is the cost of medications and the increase in their use that makes pertinent the offering of a relief to our pensioners.
This measure responds to the interest of the Honorable Governor, Sila M. Calderón, in offering economic support to our pensioners by means of a tax exempt Medications Bonus of one hundred (100) dollars, destined to assist pensioners to defray the cost of their medications.
Given the delicate economic situation of the Employees Retirement System of the Government of Puerto Rico and its Instrumentalities, the cost of the Medications Bonus shall not be defrayed by said System. Therefore, the funds to defray the Medications Bonus with respect to the pensioners of the Central Government and retired judges shall be appropriated from the General Budget of Expenses of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The public corporations and municipalities whose employees are covered by this Act shall provide the funds to defray the Medications Bonus set forth by this Act for the pensioners of their corporation or municipality.
Section 1.- Any person who is receiving a pension or benefit under the provisions of Act No. 447 of May 15, 1951, as amended, or from pension plans superseded by it, or from any other Act administered by the Employees Retirement System of the Government of Puerto Rico and its Instrumentalities, including any person receiving a pension or benefits under Act No. 12 of October 19, 1954, as amended, shall be entitled to receive each year a Medications Bonus equivalent to one hundred (100) dollars, starting in 2003, which shall be paid no later than July 15 of each year.
Section 2.- The Medications Bonus set forth herein shall be tax exempt. Section 3.- It is hereby set forth that pensioners under the provisions of Act No. 305 of September 24, 1999, known as the "Retirement Savings Account Program," shall be excluded from the benefits granted by this Act.
Section 4.- The resources to defray the cost of the Medications Bonus, with respect to the pensioners of the Central Government and pensioner judges, shall be appropriated in the General Budget of Expenses of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The public corporations and municipalities whose employees are covered by this Act shall provide the funds to defray
the Medications Bonus set forth by this Act for the pensioners of their corporation or municipality.
Section 5.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 155 (H.B. 3498) of the $5^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to grant a tax exempt Medications Bonus for pensioners of the Employees Retirement System of the Government of Puerto Rico and its Instrumentalities and for the pensioners or beneficiaries of any other Act administered by the Administrator of the Employees Retirement System of the Government of Puerto Rico and its Instrumentalities, with the exception of pensioners under the provisions set forth by Act No. 305 of September 24, 1999, etc., 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