Ley 7 del 2007
Resumen
Esta ley enmienda la Ley Orgánica del Departamento de Educación de Puerto Rico para eliminar el requisito de que los cursos de capacitación para los miembros de los Consejos Escolares, diseñados por la Oficina del Contralor, se ofrezcan exclusivamente en las instituciones educativas. La enmienda otorga flexibilidad administrativa al Departamento de Educación y a la Oficina del Contralor para coordinar y ofrecer estos cursos de manera más eficiente, permitiendo otras alternativas además de la impartición en la escuela.
Contenido
(No. 7)
(Approved February 8, 2007)
AN ACT
To amend Section 4.08 of Act No. 149 of July 15, 1999, as amended known as the "Organic Act for the Department of Education of Puerto Rico," in order to eliminate the requirement that provides that the courses the members of the School Councils must take, to be designed and administered by the Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico, have to be offered in the various teaching institutions.
STATEMENT OF MOTIVES
Act No. 77 of April 12, 2006, amended Section 4.08 of Act No. 149 of July 15, 1999, as amended, known as the "Organic Act for the Department of Education of Puerto Rico." The purpose of said amendments was to provide that the members of the School Councils that are part of the Schools of the Community, as established in Section 2.19 of the aforementioned Act No. 149, obtain basic training courses about public financial operations.
The aforementioned Act No. 77 provides that the course is to be designed and administered by the Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico. It was furthermore provided, that the Office of the Comptroller and the Secretary of the Department of Education shall establish the administrative norms that might be necessary to offer such training courses. Said Act also establishes that the "course prepared by the Comptroller of Puerto Rico shall
be offered in the teaching institution upon previous consultation with the School Director."
This Legislature deems it indispensable to grant the Office of the Comptroller and the Secretary of Education the administrative flexibility needed to coordinate and offer the courses in the most effective and efficient manner possible. Thus, it is necessary to render ineffective the requirement that provides that the courses must be offered in the teaching institutions upon previous consultation with the School Director. Instead, the Office of the Comptroller and the Secretary of Education are given the discretionary power to coordinate said offers after the proper prior notices have been given to the corresponding officers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF PUERTO RICO:
Section 1.-Section 4.08 of Act No. 149 of July 15, 1999, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 4.08.-Continuing Education The Secretary shall establish continuing education programs for the teaching and non-teaching personnel of the Department.
In the case of all members of the School Councils, who are appointed after the approval of this Act, it shall be a prior requirement to have taken and approved a course on public financial operations to be designed and administered by the Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico. Provided, that the Office of the Comptroller and the Secretary shall establish the necessary administrative norms to comply with said requirement and, in addition, shall offer said course to the present members of the School Councils. The course prepared by the Comptroller of Puerto Rico shall be offered in the most effective and efficient manner possible according to what the Secretary of Education and the Office of the Comptroller agree. Among other alternatives
to be considered, without their being understood as a limitation, the course may be offered in the Teaching Institution in coordination with the School Director or in groups by the Municipality, in coordination with the Superintendent of Schools."
Section 2.-This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 7 (H.B. 2778) of the $5^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $15^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend Section 4.08 of Act No. 149 of July 15, 1999, as amended known as the "Organic Act for the Department of Education of Puerto Rico," in order to eliminate the requirement that provides that the courses the members of the School Councils must take, to be designed and administered by the Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico, have to be offered in the various teaching institutions, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $17^{ ext {th }}$ of April of 2007.
Francisco J. Domenech Director