(a) Every person pensioned or entitled to a pension under the terms of § 761 et seq. of this title, or of the pension plans superseded by these sections and every ex-employee of the Government of Puerto Rico pensioned under special laws, who is receiving or who is entitled to receive at the time of his retirement a pension of less than one hundred twenty-five (125) dollars a month, shall be entitled to receive an increase in said pension in the following manner:
(1) All pensions corresponding to persons retired prior to July 1, 1972, of less than one hundred fifteen (115) dollars a month shall be increased, on and from July 1, 1972, in the necessary amount until reaching the sum of one hundred fifteen (115) dollars; and on and from July 1, 1973, in the necessary amounts until reaching the sum of one hundred twenty-five (125) dollars a month.
(2) All pensions corresponding to persons who will retire on and from July 1, 1972, of less than one hundred twenty-five (125) dollars a month shall be increased, by steps, in the following manner:
(A) If on the date of retirement, the pension corresponding to said person is less than one hundred fifteen (115) dollars a month, it shall be increased in the necessary amount until reaching the sum of one hundred fifteen (115) dollars a month; and as of July 1 immediately subsequent to the date of retirement, in the necessary amount until reaching the sum of one hundred twenty-five (125) dollars a month.
(B) If on the date of retirement, the pension corresponding to said person is one hundred fifteen (115) dollars a month or more, but less than one hundred twenty-five (125) dollars a month, it shall be increased in the necessary amount until reaching the sum of one hundred twenty-five (125) dollars a month.
(b) All pensions of less than five hundred (500) dollars a month granted prior to July 1, 1972, under the terms of §§ 761 et seq. of this title or of any of the pension plans superseded by these sections, and those lower than five hundred (500) dollars a month corresponding to any of the ex-employees of the Government of Puerto Rico, pensioned under special laws, shall be increased in the amount of fifteen (15) dollars a month on and from July 1, 1972, and in the amount of ten (10) dollars a month on and from July 1, 1973; Provided, That if the amount of the pension plus the increase to be granted in any of the said years exceeds the amount of five hundred (500) dollars a month, the retired person shall only receive as increase the necessary amount until reaching five hundred (500) dollars a month.
The pensioners who receive a pension lower than the minimum amounts established in clause (1) of subsection (a) of this section shall receive the increase that may result higher between the readjustments to the minimum and the increases provided in the first paragraph of this subsection.
(c) It shall be understood that the ex-employees pensioned under special laws shall be those receiving pensions pursuant to the provisions of the following laws: No. 6 of December 6, 1950, No. 7 of December 12, 1950, §§ 376 et seq. of Title 25, No. 509 of April 30, 1946, No. 166 of May 10, 1938, No. 46 of May 5, 1944, No. 295 of May 15, 1945 and No. 190 of May 15, 1943.
(d) The Administrator of the Government Employees Retirement System shall take the necessary steps to enforce the pension increase plan provided by this section.
(e) The cost of the increases in the pensions corresponding to the pensions pursuant to the provisions of §§ 761 et seq. of this title, or of pension plans superseded by these sections shall be defrayed chargeable to the funds of the Employees Retirement System of the Government of Puerto Rico and its instrumentalities.
The Secretary of the Treasury of Puerto Rico is hereby directed and authorized to set aside and place at the disposal of the Administrator of the Employees Retirement System of the Government of Puerto Rico and its instrumentalities the necessary amounts to defray the cost of the increases in the pensions of the ex-employees of the Government of Puerto Rico, pensioned under special laws, during fiscal year of 1973. The amounts that may be necessary to pay the increases in pensions in subsequent years under the said special laws shall be appropriated in the General Budget Act.
History —May 11, 1972, No. 28, p. 52, §§ 1-5.