Esta ley enmienda la Ley Orgánica del Departamento de Salud de Puerto Rico para requerir al Secretario de Salud que los servicios estadísticos, incluyendo información sobre la salud de la población bajo custodia del Departamento de Corrección y Rehabilitación, sean accesibles al público a través de la página web del Departamento de Salud. Se especifica la publicación de informes anuales de estadísticas vitales, estadísticas de facilidades de salud, profesionales de la salud y el estado de salud de la población penal.
(Approved September 3, 2003)
To amend Section 10 of Act No. 81 of May 14, 1912, as amended, known as the "Organic Act of the Department of Health of Puerto Rico," to require the Secretary of Health that statistical services concerning all items contemplated in this provision, including pertinent information on the health of the population in custody of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, be made directly accessible to the people through the Internet web page of the Department of Health.
Among the duties and obligations of the Department of Health is the keeping of a vital statistics system including all other related public health statistical services that are basic part of its functions; Section 10 of Act No. 8 of March 14, 1912, as amended. Vital statistics refer to births, deaths, marriages, and divorces that take place within this jurisdiction.
These vital statistics are found in an annual report published by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Development of the Department of Health. Said reports must be available and immediately accessible to the population for their study and analysis. As a matter of fact, occasionally, students, academics, and researchers depend upon this information, which is another tool our fellow citizens must have, since it contributes to the wellbeing of our collective health.
The relevance and impact of the facts consigned in this report on the development of the Island is such, that the Census Office of the Planning Board of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico uses it as a basis to prepare the population estimates by year and other socio-demographic analyses. However, although the report has been published since 1930, it is somewhat strange that neither the Organic Act of the Department of Health, nor its regulations establish the mandate for its publication.
It must be clarified that the vital statistics report shall include such information pertaining to the penal population under the supervision of the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. It shall also be compulsory for the Department of Health to produce an annual report on the health conditions of the penal population subject to the jurisdiction of the Correction Administration of the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation.
For all of the above, this Act directs the Secretary of Health to immediately give access to our fellow citizens the statistical services concerning all matters contemplated in this provision, including pertinent information about the health of the population under the custody of the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, through the Internet web page of the Department of Health. Likewise, it is directed that information pertaining to the population that is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation must also be included.
Section 1.- Section 10 of Act No. 8 of March 14, 1912, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 1.- The Secretary of Health shall keep and have in his/her charge such vital statistics services, and all other services that are necessary
for the performance of his/her duties and all other necessary services for the protection, care, improvement and conservation of public health that are assigned to him/her by law.
The Secretary of Health, through the Statistics Division of the Department of Health, shall be responsible for the publication of the Annual Vital Statistics Report, the Puerto Rico Statistics of Health Facilities Report, the Puerto Rico Health Professionals Report, and the State of the Health Report of the Penal Population of Puerto Rico, subject to the jurisdiction of the Correction and Rehabilitation Administration.
In turn, the Secretary shall place at the immediate disposal of the people the statistical services ordered pursuant to this legislation through their publication on the Internet web page of the Department of Health, in which the content and scope of each of the statistical services provided by the Department shall be stated concisely."
Section 2.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 250 (Substitute to H.B. 2715 and H.B. 3113) of the $5^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend Section 10 of Act No. 81 of May 14, 1912, as amended, known as the "Organic Act of the Department of Health of Puerto Rico," to require the Secretary of Health that statistical services concerning all items contemplated in this provision, including pertinent information on the health of the population in custody of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, be made directly accessible to the people through of the Internet web page of the Department of Health, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $30^{ ext {th }}$ of September of 2004.
Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director