P.R. Laws tit. 15, § 22
(a) An award is established with the name of “Germán Rieckehoff-Sampayo Excellence in Sports Medal of the Legislature of Puerto Rico” to annually acknowledge outstanding merits in the state or international arena of sportsmen who have rendered exceptional and ennobling services for the sporting image of Puerto Rico.
The activities during the ceremony for delivering the award shall be performed annually in a joint session of the Legislature and will be coordinated by the Presidents of both Bodies.
(b) This award, which shall be considered the most prestigious recognition in the area of sports in Puerto Rico, may be granted to sportsmen and women, whether professional or amateur, sports teams or particular persons, whose performance has been exceptionally valuable and praiseworthy on behalf of the good sporting image of Puerto Rico.
(c) Said distinction may also be granted to deceased persons in posthumous recognition of their services and achievements in the interest of the People of Puerto. In said cases, the award shall be delivered through the relatives of the recipient of the award.
(d) The award shall consist of a gold medal with a ribbon of adequate color and material and a distinctive gold pin that may be used by the recipient of the award in a conspicuous place on his/her garments or by his/her relatives in the case the recipient of the award has passed away. In the case of athletes who participate in team sports, a single award shall be granted to the director of each team and a commemorative pin shall be given to each one of the athletes that compose the team.
(e) It is also established that the “Joint Commission of the Legislature for the Awarding of the Legislature of Puerto Rico Germán Rieckehoff-Sampayo Excellence in Sports Medal,” which shall be composed of nine (9) members, four (4) Senate members, four (4) members of the House of Representatives and one (1) whose legislative body of origin can be altered year after year, all designated by the President of each Body. Of these, one (1) shall be the President of the Commission of the Senate with jurisdiction over recreation and sports and one (1) shall be the President of the Commission of the House with jurisdiction over recreation and sports who shall be co-Presidents.
No more than three (3) members for each chamber can belong to the same political party.
(f) The Committee shall receive nominations and recommendations, in writing, regarding the citizens who are worthy of receiving this distinction. Said nominations and recommendations shall detail the sports achievements of the nominee and shall include all the criteria that, in the judgment of the nominating party, may be used as frame of reference by the Committee. The candidate selected may be chosen from among the persons recommended by the citizenry or public or private entities or selected by the Committee itself.
On evaluating all nominations and recommendations, the Committee shall consult and be advised by the Secretary of the Sports and Recreation Department and the Chairperson of the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee.
(g) The Committee is hereby empowered to adopt rules for its internal operation and shall also have the responsibility to advise the Legislature on the selection of the inscription and quote that shall be engraved on the medal.
(h) In cases presented before the Legislature for a Resolution in which it is proposed to grant this distinction to a person or persons in particular, this shall be referred to the Legislature’s Joint Commission for Awarding “Germán Rieckehoff-Sampayo Excellence in Sports Medal of the Legislature of Puerto Rico” which shall be considered and recommendations presented to both Bodies.
(i) The Legislature shall arrange for the use and conservation of a registry where all matters related to the identity and the deeds of award winners to the “Germán Rieckehoff-Sampayo Excellence in Sports Medal of the Legislature of Puerto Rico” shall be recorded with the purpose of preserving the ennobling deeds for posterity of such a select group. Said registry will be kept in the place, hall, office or division of the Legislature determined by the Presidents of both Bodies.
(j) The expenses of the Committee, the cost arising from the design and minting of the medal and distinctive pin, the ceremony for granting the award created herein, and the provisions of subsection (i) of this section shall be charged to the budgets of each of the Bodies in equal parts.
History —June 7, 1997, No. 17, §§ 1-10; Aug. 16, 2003, No. 182, §§ 1-4.