P.R. Laws tit. 20, § 3111
The Board shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) To adopt an official seal to authenticate all the licenses and other documents issued by the Board.
(b) To keep a book of the minutes of all its proceedings.
(c) To evaluate all the applications for licenses and recertifications submitted before the Board.
(d) To authorize the exercise of the profession of speech-language pathologist, audiologist, and speech-language therapist in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico through the granting of licenses, and establish the mechanisms needed for the recertification of professionals, pursuant to the provisions of §§ 3001 et seq. of Title 24.
(e) To issue, deny, suspend, cancel or revoke licenses for the reasons that are established in this chapter.
(f) To keep an updated register of the licenses issued, consigning the name and address of the professional, personal data, his/her license number, the date of issue and effectiveness thereof and data concerning the recertification.
(g) To prepare and administer all the examinations required in this chapter.
(h) To develop an information and registry system that allows the establishments of a statistical ratio between the revalidation examination results and the applicants’ traits, such as age, gender, school of precedence, and academic index, among others.
(i) To adopt the rules and regulations needed for the execution of the provisions of this chapter.
(j) To attend to and resolve all the complaints filed for violations of the provisions of this chapter or the regulations adopted by virtue thereof, after due notice and hearing.
(k) To serve summons by certified mail with acknowledgment of receipt for the appearance of witnesses or interested parties and to require the presentation of the pertinent documents to be used as documentary evidence in any hearing to be held in compliance with the purposes of this chapter. Should the duly-notified parties not appear or if they do not hand over the required documents, the Board may appeal to the Court of First Instance for assistance to require their appearance, or the delivery of the documentary evidence. The disobedience of such order shall constitute contempt of court.
(l) To take statements and oaths and receive the evidence submitted with regard to matters under its jurisdiction.
(m) To comply with that which is set forth in §§ 2101 et seq. of Title 3, known as the “Puerto Rico Uniform Administrative Procedures Act”, in the exercise of the powers granted through this chapter to regulate, investigate and adjudicate matters under its jurisdiction.
(n) To establish a guidance program addressed to persons who wish to pursue the careers of speech-language pathology, audiology or speech-language therapy that includes, without it being understood as a limitation, study programs and the requirements established by this chapter for the exercise of said professions in Puerto Rico.
(o) To present to the Governor, through the Secretary of Health, an annual report of its works, stating the number of licenses issued, denied, cancelled, revoked, suspended and on the recertification of professionals.
History —June 3, 1983, No. 77, p. 160, § 11; Dec. 20, 1991, No. 110, § 4.