P.R. Laws tit. 21, § 4211

2019-02-20 00:00:00+00
§ 4211. Secretary—Duties

The Secretary may take oaths and sworn statements in matters related to the functions and responsibilities of his/her office, and shall keep a register of the sworn statement[s] he/she signs. In addition to any other duties prescribed in this subtitle or in other statutes, the Secretary of the legislature shall have the following duties:

(a) Act as Recording Secretary of the legislature and attest to the minutes thereof.

(b) See that the legislators are duly called to the legislature’s sessions, committee meetings and any other act or meeting thereof.

(c) Certify to the filing of the draft ordinances and resolutions, reports and other documents submitted or presented to the legislature.

(d) Keep the legislature and its President informed about all duties assigned to him/her, and those imposed by this subtitle.

(e) Notify the local administrative body of the corresponding political party on any vacancy that arises in the legislature or in the office of mayor.

(f) Notify the President of the party concerned of the existence of a vacancy in the legislature or in the office of mayor when the local administrative body of the corresponding political party does not act on it as provided in this subtitle.

(g) Reproduce and place at the disposal of the public the duly-certified municipal ordinances that impose penal sanctions and administrative fines, and can require the payment of the amount provided by resolution to cover the cost of reproducing the same.

(h) Preserve the originals of the ordinances and resolutions signed by the President of the legislature and the mayor, or only by the first, in cases of resolutions on the internal agreements of the legislature. At the end of each fiscal year, he/she shall prepare [a] volume with its corresponding index, containing all the originals of the resolutions and ordinances approved and in effect during said fiscal year. The legislature shall authorize the reproduction and sale of said volume at a fair and reasonable price, which shall not exceed the cost of preparation and reproduction. Every citizen shall be entitled to obtain copies of the resolutions and ordinances, upon a written request, and payment of the correspondent fees established by the legislature by a resolution.

(i) Certify and remit to the municipal court and regarding those municipalities where no municipal court exists, to the corresponding district court, a copy of the municipal ordinances and their amendments which contemplate legal sanctions.

(j) Safeguard the minute books, the legislators oaths, and all other documents that belong in the legislature’s files.

(k) Receive the draft resolution of the general budget of expenses of the municipality from the mayor, and deliver it to the legislators no later than the beginning of the session in which it shall be considered.

(l) Supervise all personnel attached to the legislature.

(m) Certify the attendance of the legislators to the full sessions of the legislator and to the committee meetings thereof.

(n) Carry out whatever actions are necessary and adequate for the orderly transfer of all the legislature’s documents, books, minutes, property and others, in every general election year. When the Secretary of the legislature refuses to comply with the obligation imposed herein, a special mandamus to compel compliance may be invoked.

(o) Perform any other duties, functions, and responsibilities that are imposed by law or that are delegated on him/her by the legislature or its President.

(p) Remit to all legislators the summons to a meeting of the legislature, at least twenty-four (24) hours beforehand so that they can comply with their ministerial duty and the provisions of § 4165 of this title.

History —Aug. 30, 1991, No. 81, § 5.011; Oct. 29, 1992, No. 84, § 21; Apr. 13, 1995, No. 36, § 22.