Ley 58 del 2007

(No. 58)

(Approved July 10, 2007)

AN ACT

To add a second and a third paragraph to Section 2 of Act No. 59 of June 19, 1964, as amended, which creates the Legislative Library in the Office of Legislative Services, in order to empower the Director of the Office of Legislative Services, in coordination with the Presiding Officers of both Legislative Houses, to establish in the Tomás Bonilla Feliciano Legislative Library an "Extended-Hour Service Program" to assist the public based on its demands and needs, organize the manner in which the services are to be rendered to the public; and to establish regulations to such effects.

STATEMENT OF MOTIVES

One of the programmatic commitments adopted by this Legislature is geared towards extending the operating days and hours of the Legislative Library, in order to provide greater access to the service it provides to legislators and the general community.

In the sixties, the Legislature approved Act No. 59 of June 19, 1964, which created the Legislative Library, recently designated after Tomás Bonilla-Felciano, in the Office of Legislative Services so that the work performed by the Legislative Branch may be accessible to and at the service of, the general public. Said Act intended to provide the citizens with access to the text of the laws approved by the Government and the Regulations promulgated by the Commonwealth agencies, among other information. In addition, it receives from the agencies and other instrumentalities of the Government multiple regulations, informative brochures, administrative

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manuals, bulletins, reports, maps, plans, and other informative documents that may be incorporated into the collections of the Library. Act No. 59, supra, also directs the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House to submit to the Legislative Library a copy of the Journal of Sessions, all the reports of the committees, any supplementary documents thereto, as well as all publications of each Legislative House.

In seeking the objective of the Legislature, that the people be informed of the work it performs, Act No. 205 of August 25, 2000, was approved. Said Act amended Act No. 170 of August 12, 1988, as amended known as the "Uniform Administrative Procedure Act" to direct the agencies of the Executive Branch to file a copy of all of their regulations in the Legislative Library. The Legislative Library has the mandate and responsibility of providing our citizens with complete access to the information on the approval and the subject of the laws and regulations of our Island. Although the Legislative Library is at present complying with the programmatic commitment of the Parliamentary Majority directed towards extending its operating hours and days, said extension is of an administrative nature, so that it is necessary to provide the same through the proposed legislation.

Even though computers and electronic information systems are the new and modern learning, study and research methods in our society, many persons in Puerto Rico lack these resources. Therefore, the Legislative Branch needs to rely on the necessary flexibility to make those administrative decisions directed to improve the services it offers. For all the reasons above, it is necessary to amend Act No. 59 of June 19, 1964, as amended, which creates the Legislative Library in the Office of Legislative Services, so that the Director of the of the Office of Legislative Services, in

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coordination with the Presiding Officers of both Legislative Houses, establish the extent and scope of an extended-hour service program based on the demands and needs of the users thereof.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF PUERTO RICO:

Section 1.- A second and third paragraph are hereby added to Section 2 of Act No. 59 of June 19, 1964, as amended to read as follows: "Section 2.-Location.- The Legislative Library shall be located in the Commonwealth Capitol or any other building under the jurisdiction of the Legislative Assembly at the place assigned thereto by the presiding officers of both Legislative Houses, conveniently accessible to the members of both Legislative Houses and shall remain open throughout the year.

The Director of the Office of Legislative Services, in coordination with the Presiding Officers of both Legislative Houses, shall establish through regulations the extent and scope of an extended-hour service program for the benefit of legislators and their personnel as well as that of the general public.

Said Program shall be implemented and administered taking into account the demands and needs of the users of the Legislative Library. Therefore, the regulations adopted to such purposes, in addition to observing these elements, shall provide on the need, if any, of employing additional personnel to comply with the objectives of this Act.

Section 2.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.

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CERTIFICATION

I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 58 (S.B. 1773) of the $5^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $15^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:

AN ACT to add a second and a third paragraph to Section 2 of Act No. 59 of June 19, 1964, as amended, which creates the Legislative Library in the Office of Legislative Services, in order to empower the Director of the Office of Legislative Services, in coordination with the Presiding Officers of both Legislative Houses, to establish in the Tomás Bonilla Feliciano Legislative Library an "Extended-Hour Service Program" to assist the public based on its demands and needs, organize the manner in which the services are to be rendered to the public; and to establish regulations to such effects, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $31^{ ext {st }}$ of October of 2007.

Francisco J. Domenech Director

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