Esta ley enmienda la Ley Núm. 59 de 5 de agosto de 1993 para ampliar el alcance del Programa de Internado Congresional Córdova, ahora conocido como Programa de Internados Congresionales Córdova y Fernós. El programa se extiende a agencias administrativas del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, agencias del gobierno federal e instituciones cuasi-públicas ubicadas en Washington D.C. También se añade el nombre de Antonio Fernós-Isern al programa para reflejar la diversidad política de los representantes de Puerto Rico en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos.
(Approved April 23, 2004)
To amend Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 of Act No. 59 of August 5, 1993, in order to extend the scope of the Córdova Congressional Internship Program to administrative agencies of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and to Federal government agencies and quasi public-institutions located in Washington DC, and to add the name of Antonio FernósIsern to the Córdova Congressional Internship Program, hereinafter to be known as the Córdova and Fernós Congressional Internships Program.
Through the Córdova Congressional Internship Program, Puerto Rican college students have had the opportunity of directly knowing and becoming familiarized with the United States legislative processes. Due to the success of the program this Legislature intends to extend the scope of the same to administrative agencies of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Federal government agencies, independent agencies and quasi-public or international institutions, all of which are located in Washington DC. In this way the program shall, among other things, benefit students with different academic interests. Examples of independent agencies are the Agency for International Development and the Commission on Civil Rights; of quasi-public or international institutions are the American Red Cross and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
It is the intention of this Legislature to add the name of Antonio Fernós-Isern to the Córdova Congressional Internship Program, so it will reflect the diversity of the political thinking of those who have represented Puerto Rico in the Congress of the United States, and also, to gather the ideological diversity of the students who are selected to participate in the Program, currently known as Córdova Program. The new internship shall be known as the Córdova and Fernós Congressional Internships Program. Dr. Antonio Fernós-Isern, along with Felix Córdova-Dávila and Jorge Luis Córdova- Díaz held the office of Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner in the United States of America; as worthy representatives of said position and of the Puerto Rican political diversity.
Antonio Fernós-Isern, physician, writer, and politician born in San Lorenzo and a militant of the Popular Democratic Party, succeeded Jesús T. Piñero as Resident Commissioner in Washington DC, where he presented the bill known as Ley 600 before the Congress of the United States, which authorized the People of Puerto Rico to draft its own Constitution, which constituted a crucial stage in the democratic history of Puerto Rico. Dr. Antonio Fernós-Isern presided the works of the Constitutional Convention and then became the first Resident Commissioner of the new formula of political association with the United States of America, which is, the Commonwealth.
Felix Córdova-Dávila and Jorge Luis Córdova-Díaz, father and son, both born in Manatí, held the office of Resident Commissioner in Washington, as well as that of Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. Córdova Dávila, of autonomist ideals, belonged to the Union Party of Puerto Rico (Partido Unión de Puerto Rico). On the other hand, his son, CórdovaDíaz, was founding member of the New Progressive Party (Partido Nuevo
Progresista) and is acknowledged as the first Puerto Rican who obtained the right to vote in the Committees of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress to which the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico belongs.
These sons of our land contributed to the development of our political formation and it is the intention of this Legislature to render homage and recognition for to their outstanding performance in national politics.
Section 1.- Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 of Act No. 59 of August 5, 1993 are hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 1.- The Córdova and Fernós Congressional Internships Program, which shall be directed and administered by a Joint Committee of the Legislature as provided below, is hereby established in the Legislature of Puerto Rico." "Section 2.- The Joint Committee for the Córdova and Fernós Congressional Internships Program is hereby created, which shall be in charge of all matters related to the implementation and operation of the Program established by this Act. The Joint Committee shall be composed of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Floor Leaders of the several political parties in both Legislative Bodies, and the Chairpersons of the Legislative Committees with jurisdiction over International and Federal affairs of each Body. The Committee shall appoint a Chairperson by the majority vote of its members. The members of the Joint Committee shall have the power to designate a member of the Legislative Body to which they belong as a substitute to them whenever it is necessary for all purposes in the work of the Commission."
"Section 3.- Each member of the Joint Committee shall have the right to nominate two (2) candidates for the internship program each year. The Joint Committee shall ensure that among those recommended there are candidates nominated by the legislators of all political parties represented in the Legislature. Said candidates shall be selected following criteria regarding their academic qualification, grades, experience and outstanding services to society, according to the method for their selection which shall be established through regulations approved by the Joint Committee. The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico in Washington and the Chairperson of the Hispanic Caucus in the Federal Government may each select one (1) intern, following the criteria previously established. The Joint Committee shall place the remaining nominees in various Congressional dependencies, administrative agencies of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Federal government, independent agencies and quasi-public or international institutions all of which are located in Washington DC." "Section 4.- These interns shall be students at the undergraduate level who have completed at least half of the needed requirements for a Bachelor's Degree, or post-graduate level students registered in institutions located in Puerto Rico. The interns thus chosen shall receive a salary and stipends for lodging and transportation during a maximum of four (4) months of full-time work in the office of the member of the Congress who selected the intern, in the administrative agency of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the federal government, independent agencies or quasipublic or international institutions in which they have been placed." "Section 6.- The Joint Committee of the Córdova and Fernós Congressional Internships Program shall take such pertinent steps to validate such participation in the Program as university credits."
Section 2.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 94 (S.B. 1035) of the $7^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 of Act No. 59 of August 5, 1993, in order to extend the scope of the Córdova Congressional Internship Program to administrative agencies of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and to Federal government agencies and quasi public-institutions located in Washington DC, and to add the name of Antonio Fernós-Isern to the Córdova Congressional Internship Program, hereinafter to be known as the Córdova and Fernós Congressional Internships Program, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today 3rd of August of 2005.
Francisco J. Domenech Director
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