Esta ley enmienda la Ley Núm. 122 de 28 de junio de 1969 para aumentar la asignación de fondos públicos al Departamento de Recreación y Deportes, con el fin de cubrir los gastos operacionales del Maratón San Blas de Coamo, declarándolo un evento deportivo de interés público general.
(Approved January 8, 2004)
To amend subsection
(b) of Act No. 122 of June 28, 1969, as amended, which officially declared the San Blas Marathon, based in Coamo, as a sports event of general public interest, for the purpose of establishing that for subsequent fiscal years after the approval of this Act, an amount of not less than one hundred and twenty-five thousand $(125,000)$ dollars shall be appropriated to the Sports and Recreation Department, to defray said Marathon's operating expenses.
The San Blas Marathon has been held in the picturesque town of Coamo, with great success, for many years, and it has become a recreational-sports event that includes the participation of hundreds of Puerto Rican families. This Marathon mainly stands out for the quality of the national and international athletes who compete in it, as well as for the opportunity for healthy amusement and camaraderie it offers to the whole country.
This sports event, which involves running 21,097 kilometers, serves as a means for the Puerto Rico Amateur Athletic Federation, affiliated to the International Amateur Athletics Federation, to assess the quality of Puerto Rican champions, as well as to tryout our local athletes against elite competitors who join this event from all parts of the world.
During the days when said Marathon is held, the population of Coamo has the opportunity to show its quality as a humble and fraternal town to the rest of the visiting Islanders. Further, all the community and the visitors get
together and they revive the town's values and traditions which are the main part of this great feast.
On June 28, 1969, through Act No. 122, the San Blas Marathon was officially declared a sports event of general public interest, appropriating to it the corresponding public funds, through the Sports and Recreation Department, to defray expenses for its operation and functioning.
Presently, it becomes necessary to increase the funds to defray the expenses of the San Blas Marathon, in Coamo, since the same has proved to be an extremely important sports event, operating as a recreational link for all the island of Puerto Rico. Furthermore, the organizational quality of the same reflects a great level of responsibility and commitment that has contributed to its extraordinary success.
In supporting events such as this one, we solidify the public policy that acknowledges the importance of sports as a vehicle for improvement and formation, principally for our youth. In this way we also reaffirm the positive effects that derive from the same and that trigger an improvement in the quality of life of our Island, projecting us as hospitable people who love our traditions.
For such purpose, this measure is aimed as an adequate legislative vehicle toward increasing the amount of funds to be assigned to the Sports and Recreation Department to defray the operational expenses of the San Blas Marathon that is held in Coamo.
Section 1.- Subsection
(b) of Act No. 122 of June 28, 1969, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:
"San Blas Marathon.
(a) The San Blas Marathon, which is held annually in the Municipality of Coamo, is hereby declared to be a sports event of general public interest in Puerto Rico.
(b) For the fiscal years 2002-03 and following, an amount of not less than one hundred and twenty five thousand $(125,000)$ dollars of unencumbered funds in the State Treasury shall be appropriated to the Sports and Recreation Department to defray the operational expenses of the San Blas Marathon. These funds shall be appropriated from the Department's Operational Expenses Budget.
The Sports and Recreation Department shall establish the rules for distribution of the funds appropriated for the holding of the Marathon.
The entity organizing the San Blas Marathon shall issue a report detailing the expenses paid with this appropriation of funds. The expense report shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Sports and Recreation Department not later than thirty (30) days following the date when the Marathon is held.
Section 2.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 6 (S.B. 2314) of the $6^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend subsection
(b) of Act No. 122 of June 28, 1969, as amended, which officially declared the San Blas Marathon, based in Coamo, as a sports event of general public interest, for the purpose of establishing that for subsequent fiscal years after the approval of this Act, an amount of not less than one hundred and twenty-five thousand $(125,000)$ dollars shall be appropriated to the Department of Recreation and Sports, to defray said Marathon's operating expenses, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $4^{ ext {th }}$ of April of 2005.
Luis E. Fusté-Lacourt Director