The following words and terms, when used or referred to in this chapter, shall have the meaning stated herein, unless from the context it is clearly construed otherwise:
(a) Administrator of the Assistance Program.— Shall mean the official, officials or officers who, by regulations, are designated to administer and implement the program authorized by virtue of this chapter.
(b) Insured.— Shall mean the active member of the National Guard or the retired member of the National Guard eligible for the Program, who has not attained sixty (60) years of age. Upon attaining sixty (60) years of age, the life and funeral insurance shall terminate.
(c) Assistance.— Shall mean the benefits to be received by the active members of the National Guard, their spouses and descendants, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(d) Beneficiary.— Shall mean the persons designated by the insured, or his/her heirs, as the case may be, entitled to receive the corresponding payment for life or funeral insurance.
(e) Bonds.— Shall mean the bonds, temporary bonds, refinancing bonds, obligations, notes, notes in advance of bonds, interim receipts or provisional bonds, certificates and other evidence of indebtedness of the Puerto Rico National Guard Institutional Trust issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(f) Concessionaire.— Shall mean the natural or juridical person who operates post exchanges, canteens or analogous services pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(g) Descendants.— Shall mean the natural or adopted children of a member of the National Guard or of his/her spouse that are single, under twenty-one (21) years of age, and reside under the same roof, and single children up to twenty-three (23) years of age who are studying full-time in a duly accredited university institution.
(h) Commonwealth.— Shall mean the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(i) Puerto Rico National Guard Institutional Trust.— Shall mean the Trust, that is, the owner and administrator of the real property on which post exchanges, canteens and analogous services are operated pursuant to §§ 2001 et seq. of this title, which, from time to time, are transferred by the Adjutant General of Puerto Rico, and administrator of the funds for annuities, education, and repairs and capital improvements and other purposes, as established by this chapter. In case said National Guard Institutional Fund is abolished or otherwise removed from the functions described under this chapter, [shall mean] the public body or entity that succeeds in its main functions, or that to which, the rights, powers and duties conferred by this chapter to the Puerto Rico National Guard are assigned by law.
(j) Educational Fund.— Shall mean the fund for assistance in the payment of educational expenses for the active members of the Puerto Rico National Guard, their spouses and descendants, including university and post high school education expenses in duly-accredited vocational or technical institutions, as established in the regulations to be adopted pursuant to this chapter for the administration of the Fund.
(k) Annuities, Life and Funeral Insurance Fund.— Shall mean the fund created by virtue of this chapter to provide monthly payments for the members of the National Guard who retire, after twenty (20) years of honorable service in the Puerto Rico National Guard, have attained fifty-five (55) years of age and who, at the time of retirement, or on the date the program is implemented, January 1, 1992, have not attained sixty (60) years of age, as established in the regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter.
(l) Fund for Capital Improvements, Operation and Maintenance and other General Uses.— Shall mean the fund created pursuant to this chapter to complement the local and federal legislative appropriations received annually by the Puerto Rico National Guard for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation and maintenance of facilities; to complement the legislative appropriations received annually by the Puerto Rico National Guard to attend to its administrative and operating expenses; to supplement the expenses of the Commonwealth Guard; to meet expenses that lead to bolstering the esprit de corps of the members of the Puerto Rico National Guard and the social well-being, enjoyment, recreation and other non-profit purposes thereof, and to cover the administrative expenses of the National Guard Institutional Trust, as established through regulations adopted to such effects by virtue of this chapter.
(m) United States Armed Forces.— Shall mean the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Infantry Corp, and Coast Guard Corps, and the reserve forces thereof, and the personnel retired with pay from said forces.
(n) Military Forces of Puerto Rico.— Shall mean the members of the Puerto Rico National Guard and such other military forces organized pursuant to §§ 2001 et seq. of this title, known as the Military Code of Puerto Rico.
(ñ) Puerto Rico National Guard.— Shall mean the subdivision of the Military Forces of Puerto Rico, organized pursuant to § 2052 of this title, and in accordance with the corresponding federal contributions prescribed by the President of the United States from time to time, pursuant to the Laws of the U.S. Congress.
(o) Board.— Shall mean the Board of Directors of the National Guard Institutional Trust created by virtue of § 2912 of this title.
(p) Person.— Shall mean any natural or juridical person, including, but not limited to, any municipality or political subdivision, agency, department or instrumentality of the Commonwealth, or any person, company, partnership, joint venture, trust, stock company, association or public or private corporation, organized or existing under the laws of the Commonwealth, of the United States of America or any state, any agency, municipality or instrumentality of the United States or any combination thereof.
(q) Project.— Shall mean any project that is developed under the Puerto Rico National Guard Institutional Fund created pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, or whose development and administration is entrusted to it by the Commonwealth, its agencies, municipalities or public instrumentalities.
(r) Funeral insurance.— Shall mean a life insurance policy which shall cover the funeral expenses, or three thousand dollars ($3,000), whichever is less. The funeral policy shall be payable to the person who proves that he/she incurred the funeral expenses of the insured person.
(s) Life Insurance.— Shall mean a fixed term life policy for five thousand dollars ($5,000) to be granted by the National Guard Institutional Fund, chargeable to the Annuities, Life Insurance and Funeral Insurance Fund, which is granted until the insured attains sixty (60) years of age. The life insurance policy shall be term insurance, [and] shall not accrue cash value. The life insurance policy shall be payable to the beneficiaries duly designated by the insured, or the heirs, as the case may be. The Puerto Rico National Guard Institutional Trust Board may vary the amount of said insurance when the solidity and solvency of the Annuities, Life Insurance and Funeral Insurance Fund allows it.
(t) Post Exchanges.— Shall mean the space within the premises of the Puerto Rico National Guard Quarters established to operate post exchanges, canteens and other services of a similar nature through the direct sale and resale of products for the benefit of authorized users.
(u) Users.— Shall mean the authorized persons privileged to use the post exchanges, as provided in § 2914 of this title.
History —July 23, 1991, No. 23, § 3.