Esta ley solicita a la Comisión Denominadora de Estructuras Públicas y Carreteras de Puerto Rico que estudie la posibilidad de nombrar el nuevo edificio de la Comisión Estatal de Elecciones en San Juan como "Samuel R. Quiñones" en reconocimiento a sus contribuciones a la historia y al sistema electoral de Puerto Rico.
(Approved September 15, 2004)
To request that the Public Structures and Highways Naming Commission of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico perform a study of the possibility of designating the new building of the Commonwealth Elections Commission of Puerto Rico, located in the Municipality of San Juan, with the name of "Samuel R. Quiñones."
The Commonwealth Elections Commission of Puerto Rico recently inaugurated its new headquarters at 500 Arterial Avenue B, in Hato Rey, a sector of the capital city of San Juan. The building has not yet been officially designated by dedication to any illustrious figure of our history, which, in this case, should be related in some way to the public-electoral procedures of the Island. Without a doubt, Don Samuel R. Quiñones has the qualifications and merits necessary therefor.
This illustrious Puerto Rican was born on August 9, 1904, in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Don Francisco Quiñones and Doña Dolores Quiñones. He married the poet Doña Clara Luz Vizcarrondo. He was a poet, essayist, journalist and politician, fields in which he achieved distinction within Puerto Rico and abroad, and for which he earned the greatest recognition of his people.
In the political arena, he was a Senator for the Social Independence Action Party, the Liberal Party and the Popular Democratic Party. He held positions of great relevance: Member of the Constitutional Convention of Puerto Rico and Chairman of its Executive Committee (1951-52); Representative to the House
(1940-44); Speaker of the House (1941-1944); Senator (1944-1968); Vicepresident of the Senate and Chairman of the Warp and Means Committee; and President of the Senate.
Specifically, with respect to the electoral sphere, he was the Electoral Commissioner of the Popular Democratic Party and author of the bill that became the Registration and Elections Act of Puerto Rico (1945) and created the Insular Board of Elections of Puerto Rico, precursors of the current system.
The contribution made by Samuel R. Quiñones to all his other areas of interest was also beyond measure: he was President of the Puerto Rico Bar Association, the Puerto Rican Athenaeum, the Puerto Rican Academy of the Spanish Language and the Puerto Rican Academy of History. He was the director of the historic newspaper La Democracia and of important literary magazines, such as Athena and Índice, as well as the author of books, collections of poems and speeches of remarkable literary value and content.
Don Samuel R. Quiñones died in 1976, and the centennial of his birthday is celebrated precisely on this year 2004. Nothing can be timelier than to dedicate to this outstanding patrician, on this occasion, the new building that houses the Commonwealth Elections Commission of Puerto Rico.
Section 1.- To request that the Public Structures and Highway Naming Commission of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico perform a study on the possibility of designating the new building that houses the Commonwealth Elections Commission of Puerto Rico, located at 500 Arterial Avenue B, in Hato Rey, a sector of the capital city of San Juan with the name of "Don Samuel R. Quiñones". It is hereby provided that once the Naming Commission designates the building with the name of Don Samuel R. Quiñones, it shall be stated for the record through the corresponding identification of the building and the placement
of a placard to such effects. Section 2.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 322 (S.B. 2752) of the $7^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to request that the Public Structures and Highways Naming Commission of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico perform a study of the possibility of designating the new building of the Commonwealth Elections Commission of Puerto Rico, located in the Municipality of San Juan, with the name of "Samuel R. Quiñones", has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today 1st of June of 2006.
Francisco J. Domenech Director