Ley 19 del 2005

(No. 19)

(Approved June 16, 2005)

AN ACT

To amend and renumber Sections 4, 5, and 7 as Sections 3, 4, and 5, and to revoke Sections 3 and 6 of Act No. 141 of June 11, 2004, in order to eliminate the Joint Legislative Committee for Granting the "Miguel Angel García Méndez Legislative Oratory Award," and assign the functions regarding the Award to the Joint Committee on the Granting of Medals and Awards of the Legislature.

STATEMENT OF MOTIVES

Last November 2, 2004, the People of Puerto Rico gave a mandate to this Legislature to be more strict and conservative in the use of public funds, among other things. This mandate together with another through which the elimination or cut of standing legislative committees, whether created by law or by resolutions, was demanded; since by doing so there would be savings in the budget, and at the same time the efficiency of the legislature would be increased.

Due to this mandate, since its beginning, the Fifteenth Legislature deemed it was necessary to undertake a process of dramatic cuts in the number of existing committees. To such purposes, it is imperative to amend the laws of many committees, so that their functions and jurisdictions may be assumed by other committees. This is the case of Act No. 141 of June 11, 2004.

It is important to mention that the amendments to Act No. 141 do not have the intention to eliminate the valuable opportunity offered by the "Miguel Angel García Méndez Legislative Oratory Award," but rather to consolidate all steps to be taken in the granting of this Award as well as other medals and awards of the

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Legislature in a single Joint Committee.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF PUERTO RICO:

Section 1.- Section 3 of Act No. 141 of June 11, 2004, is hereby repealed. Section 2.- Section 4 of Act No. 141 of June 11, 2004, is herby amended and renumbered as Section 3, to read a follows: "Section 3.- The Joint Committee on the Granting of Medals and Awards of the Legislature shall receive nominations and recommendations concerning the students deserving of that distinction. The candidates selected in the sponsored contest may be chosen from among students recommended by any person or public or private entity or selected by the Committee itself."

Section 3.- Section 5 of Act No. 141 of June 11, 2004, is hereby amended and renumbered as Section 4, to read as follows: "Section 4.- The Joint Committee on the Granting of Medals and Awards of the Legislature shall establish the criteria and parameters for holding the competition and the adjudication of the awards in the promulgated regulations, which shall contain specific provisions on the enforcement of this Act, and shall advise the Legislature as to the inscription and quotation the medal shall bear."

Section 4.- Section 6 of Act No. 141 of June 11, 2004, is hereby repealed. Section 5.- Section 7 of Act No. 141 of June 11, 2004, is hereby amended and renumbered as Section 5.

Section 6.- This Act shall take effect immediately after it approval.

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CERTIFICATION

I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 19 (H.B. 998) of the 1st Session of the $15^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:

AN ACT to amend and renumber Sections 4, 5, and 7 as Sections 3, 4, and 5, and to revoke Sections 3 and 6 of Act No. 141 of June 11, 2004, in order to eliminate the Joint Legislative Committee for Granting the "Miguel Angel García Méndez Legislative Oratory Award," and assign the functions regarding the Award to the Joint Committee on the Granting of Medals and Awards of the Legislature, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $7^{ ext {th }}$ of October of 2005.

Francisco J. Domenech Director