P.R. Laws tit. 1, § 812
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Persons with Disabilities Advocacy Office is hereby created as a juridical entity independent and separate from any other public agency or entity. Said Advocacy Office shall oversee and promote advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities. Through educational and oversight mechanisms, this Office shall ensure that discrimination based on physical or mental disability is eradicated; take actions against any abuse, negligence, or any other form of rights violation; and guarantee that suitable practices and conditions are established and implemented in any institution, hospital, or program serving persons with disabilities. It shall also oversee compliance with §§ 512 et seq. of this title, known as the “Bill of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act”.
The Advocacy Office shall be directed by the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities, who shall be appointed and have the powers and responsibilities established further below. Moreover, the Advocacy Office shall have a Director’s Council for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities, which shall assist the Advocate in carrying out his/her duties; oversee compliance with the public policy set forth in this chapter, the Bill of Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the implementation of strategic plans geared toward safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities.
Likewise, the Advocacy Office shall have a Persons with Disabilities Protection and Advocacy Division under the direction of an Executive Director who shall have the authorities provided further below.
The Advocacy Office shall be exempt from the payment of taxes, permit fees, duties, tariffs, charges, or levies established by the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or the municipalities thereof on the properties of which the entity is an owner, lessor, or lessee, and on the income derived from any activity in which the Advocacy Office engages, including but not limited to, municipal license fees imposed in accordance with §§ 651 et seq. of Title 21, known as the “Municipal License Tax Act”, municipal construction excise taxes imposed in accordance with §§ 4001 et seq. of Title 21, known as the “Autonomous Municipalities Act of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico of 1991. Likewise, the Advocacy Office shall be exempt from the payment of any charges, internal revenue stamps and vouchers, fees, or duties required by law in judicial proceedings; as well as from the payment of any fees on account of certifications from any office or instrumentality of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; as well as for the execution of public documents and the filing and recording thereof in any public register.
History —Sept. 24, 2015, No. 158, § 2.01.