Esta ley enmienda la Ley Núm. 170 de 12 de agosto de 1988, conocida como la "Ley de Procedimiento Administrativo Uniforme", para excluir a la Oficina de Conciliación y Arbitraje de la Comisión de Relaciones del Trabajo del Servicio Público de su aplicación. El propósito es agilizar y hacer más eficiente la política sindical para los servidores públicos.
(Approved January 10, 2004)
To add a new clause (9) to Subsection 1.3 of Section 1 of Act No. 170 of August 12, 1988, as amended, known as "Uniform Administrative Procedures Act" of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
The Public Service Labor Relations Commission was created in 1998 to enable the formation of a Puerto Rican public servants' union. Among its functions, it must appoint an arbitration panel before which the parties to collective bargaining agreements shall solve their disputes on the interpretation of said agreements. In compliance with said norm, the Commission has created the Conciliation and Arbitration Office, which hears controversies that, according to the law, are referred to mediation and arbitration acting with total independence from the Commission. For this reason, this Legislature deems that it enjoys the same legal rank as the Conciliation and Arbitration Office of the Department of Labor and Human Resources. This Act exempts the Conciliation and Arbitration Office from the "Uniform Administrative Procedures Act" in order to guarantee the administration of a more responsive, prompt and cost-effective union policy for public servants of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Section 1.- A new clause nine (9) is added to Subsection 1.3 of Section 1 of Act No. 170 of August 12, 1988, as amended, known as "Uniform Administrative Procedures Act" of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. "Section 1.3.- Definitions For the purposes of this chapter the following terms or phrases shall have the meaning stated hereinafter:
(a) Agency. Means any board, body, board of examiners, public corporation, commission, independent office, division, administration, bureau, department, authority, officer, person, entity or any instrumentality of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or administrative body authorized by law to carry out functions for regulating, investigating, or that may issue a decision, or is empowered to issue licenses, certificates, permits, concessions, accreditations, privileges, franchises, accuse or adjudicate, except: (1) (8) ... (9) The Conciliation and Arbitration Office of the Public Service Labor Relations Commission of Puerto Rico.
Section 2.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 44 (H.B. 3752) of the $6^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to add a new clause (9) to Subsection 1.3 of Section 1 of Act No. 170 of August 12, 1988, as amended, known as "Uniform Administrative Procedures Act" of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $19^{ ext {th }}$ of September of 2005.
Francisco J. Domenech Director