P.R. Laws tit. 9, § 5033a
The program created by means of this section shall combine the efforts of the Department of Education, the Department of Labor and Human Resources, the Department of Transportation and Public Works, and the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation to develop technological education for our student population by means of the manufacturing, marketing and sales of personalized license plates for the motor vehicles authorized to circulate on the thoroughfares of this country. At the same time, the national economy shall be strengthened and training and employment shall be provided for a social segment that is in need of skills in order to positively contribute toward our own development, the Puerto Rican inmates population.
(1) Duties and responsibilities of the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation.— The Secretary of the Department of Correction, along with the private sector consortium in support of this project shall:
(a) Assign the officers to be in charge of the custody and supervision of the inmates participating in the program.
(b) Equip and maintain the installations assigned for the program.
(c) Ensure and promote inmate participation in the program.
(d) Evaluate the program at the end of every fiscal year. A copy of said evaluation shall be submitted to the Secretaries of the agencies participating in the program and to the Legislature.
(e) Establish the criteria for the selection of the participants that shall work in the different license plate manufacturing processes in Puerto Rico and shall enforce compliance with the requirements set forth by the Department of Transportation and Public Works by means of regulation to be promulgated for these purposes.
(2) Duties and responsibilities of the consortium.— The consortium shall be constituted by capable private entities approved by the Secretary of Education and organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, for purposes of preparing a permanent training and product manufacturing project. Said consortium shall establish a collaboration agreement and shall:
(a) Hold meetings with the Secretaries of the different departments to formalize an agreement setting forth the terms for interagency cooperation and collaboration to comply with the provisions of this chapter.
(b) Provide the expertise for the manufacturing of license plates for private and public vehicles of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(c) Ensure the timely supply of all raw materials, such as retro-reflexive materials, aluminum, and packaging materials, as well as the necessary machinery for the manufacturing process.
(d) Prepare the design and implementation of a training process for the inmates selected to participate in the program, training them for any scenario of the labor market in Puerto Rico, in coordination with the Department of Labor and Human Resources and the Department of Education.
(e) Provide technical supervision for the inmates selected to participate in the program.
(f) Assume responsibility for the coordination with all agencies and private entities participating in the program for the preparation of the proposal for federal funds available through the Workforce Investment Act to begin this program.
(g) Comply with the regulation promulgated for these purposes.
(3) Duties and responsibilities of the Department of Labor and Human Resources.— The Secretary of the Department of Labor and Human Resources shall:
(a) Collaborate with the Department of Education in the design of a curriculum that includes the skills and competencies necessary for the work to be performed.
(b) Grant certificates of skills to the inmates selected to participate in the program according to their performance in the different work areas carried out by the inmate population, in collaboration with the Department of Education.
(c) Prepare an application form for each eligible participant containing the necessary qualifications set forth by regulation. If the numbers of applications cannot be defrayed with the available resources, the Secretary shall establish, by means of regulation, an objective and fair procedure to make the corresponding adjudications. The Secretary, or the person upon whom the same delegates by means of regulation, shall be in charge of performing the necessary evaluations and follow-ups to ensure the efficient implementation and development of the program.
(4) Duties and responsibilities of the Department of Transportation and Public Works.— The Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works shall:
(a) Implement and manage the program.
(b) Analyze the distribution and use of the funds appropriated for the program and make recommendations.
(c) Establish the evaluation criteria to be used in the program, regarding the manufacturing process, collections, distribution of materials, and quality of the product, among other related matters.
(d) Establish a special account to which the funds originating from the sale of the license plates shall be transferred to support technological education in the Department of Education.
(e) Prepare a regulation for requesting the special license plates.
(f) Coordinate with the Department of Education the fees to be charged for each personalized license plate and for each double license plate.
(g) Assess how the program may be extended, considering the factors that by regulation promote the best use of the resources of the program, without being limited to the inmate population residing in certain areas, in coordination with the Department of Education.
(5) Duties and responsibilities of the Department of Education.— The Secretary of the Department of Education shall:
(a) Design a curriculum on the different subjects related to the labor market, in coordination with the Department of Labor and Human Resources.
(b) Collaborate in the requesting of federal funds for the preparation and design of the proposal.
(c) Collaborate with the Department of Labor and Human Resources in the granting of certifications for the work performed by the inmate population participating in the program.
(d) Incorporate strategies, including equipment, programs and curricula on computers and technology to the offering of technological education in the public school system of Puerto Rico, including vocational education institutions, to prepare the students in the system for the computer technology demands of a global society.
(e) Assess, in coordination with the Department of Transportation and Public Works, how this program may be gradually expanded, considering the factors that, by regulations promote the best use of the resources of the program, without being limited to the inmate population residing in certain areas.
(6) Scope of authority.— The Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works is hereby empowered to promulgate the necessary regulation to carry out the purposes of this chapter, and shall order annual fiscal and operational audits of all the funds and operations of the program.
(7) Annual reports.— Once the program takes effect, the Secretary of the Department of Education, shall submit to the Legislature, within a term of not more than twelve (12) months after the beginning of the academic year, a report on the development of the program, the pursuit of its goals, including the production of license plates, the transfer of funds, the academic offerings, and the certificates of skills granted in order to comply with the objectives of same. From then on, said report shall be rendered to the Legislature on July 31st of each year.
(8) Information requests.— Departments responsible for the implementation of this program shall be authorized to request from other departments, agencies, corporations or public instrumentalities and municipalities any data, information, statistics, or any other information deemed necessary to carry out its duties. Said entities shall be bound to cooperate and provide to the requesting department the required information with priority.
History —Jan. 7, 2000, No. 22, added as § 2.32A on Aug. 28, 2003, No. 214, § 1.