P.R. Laws tit. 24, § 322
It is hereby declared that it is the public policy of the Government of Puerto Rico to ensure the safety, physical integrity and the best emotional welfare of all children, in order for them to achieve their full and integral development. The protection and safety of infants is a compelling interest of the State, thus, it is imperative to promote all those measures and strategies addressed to preventing the commission of the crimes of kidnapping and child stealing in public hospital institutions that render medical services through specialized units such as newborn wards, obstetric areas and pediatric departments.
The Government of Puerto Rico, in its unavoidable commitment to the safety of our children, shall promote the initiatives that must be adopted by the hospital institutions to develop norms, systems and safety procedures that will prevent the kidnapping and stealing of our children. The implementation of safety measures and the use of technological systems to prevent these crimes shall be mandatory in nature for hospital institutions. Likewise, said institutions shall adopt specific procedures to guarantee with certainty and reliability, the identification of the infants that are born therein, while safeguarding the right of privacy of the children and the families.
In order to enforce this public policy in a conscientious manner, the combining of the resources, and security and protection programs and initiatives between the public and private sector shall be promoted.
History —June 18, 1999, No. 133, § 2.