The Museum shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) To own and use an official seal.
(b) To acquire proprietary rights and real and personal property by donation, bequeathal, purchase, or any other lawful means; to hold and conserve them and only dispose of them insofar as such disposal is necessary and convenient for the conservation, enrichment, and sustainment of the artistic heritage of Puerto Rico. All of the foregoing shall be subject to the limitations provided in this subchapter through regulations established for such purposes.
(c) To establish such norms and bylaws as necessary for the internal operation thereof and to govern programs and activities sponsored by the Museum, including any measures as necessary for the conservation of works and materials pertaining to the parliamentary and legislative endeavor of the Legislative Assembly in its possession or under its custody, and to regulate access for the public to enjoy the same. Access to students from public and private schools and university institutions in Puerto Rico shall be granted pursuant to a plan designed to such effect.
(d) The Museum may enter into contracts and agreements with: federal agencies, agencies of the Government of Puerto Rico, public corporations, private businesses, other public and private local and foreign museums, cultural associations, nonprofit organizations, and private art collectors, as well as with any other natural or juridical person, to receive funds in the form of loans or donations; to receive works of art for custody or deposit or as a donation or bequeathal; to exchange works of art as a depositary or depositor for a fixed term; and to buy, lease, administer or construct such buildings and works as necessary to maintain and conserve the works of art and their enjoyment.
(e) The Museum shall keep a register of all transactions carried out which involve the expenditure of funds for the acquisition of works of art and collections of objects of historic and cultural value.
(f) The Museum shall obtain an insurance policy that covers all works of art and collections of historic and cultural value in existence at the Legislative Assembly under its care and maintenance, as well as any others acquired by or donated to the Museum in the future.
(g) The Museum shall make and keep an inventory of all works of art acquired by or donated to the Legislative Assembly, as well as any others acquired by or donated to the Museum in the future.
(h) The Museum shall establish an electronic system that allows the institution’s personnel, students, and tourists to readily access the information pertaining to the collections in possession of the Museum.
(i) The Museum may sell to the public, after authorization by and coordination with the Presiding Officers of both Legislative Houses, and subject to market fluctuations, any souvenirs, reproductions, postcards, books, and other art-related items. The revenues obtained from such activities shall be used to defray the Museum’s maintenance expenses.
History —Mar. 30, 2011, No. 40, § 2.4, eff. July 1, 2011.