To amend Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13 and 21, add a new Article 22 and renumber Article 22 as Article 23 of Law 209-2003, as amended, known as the “Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics Act”, for the purpose of making technical amendments; providing that the Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico may request, accept and receive donations; establish that the sums collected by this concept may be used to defray the operating and operating expenses of the Institute and the statistical activities that the Institute determines; provide for the power of the Board of Directors of the Institute to approve the acquisition of equipment, materials and services whose value exceeds the amount of one hundred thousand ($100,000) dollars; provide that the Board of Directors shall have as part of its duties and powers the authority to adopt the ethical standards applicable to any person who works in the statistical units of government agencies or who advises, intervenes or collaborates with the Statistical Production Service of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; constitute a work unit and allocate the necessary resources to, at the request of any person, private entity or government agency, or the Judicial Branch, to provide compensated services; clarify the obligations of government agencies regarding the sending of statistical information to the Institute; provide that the Governor will include in the model budget the calculations for the current expenses of that Institute, without reviewing them, to guarantee its fiscal stability; create the Program of Academies and Workshops of the Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico; establish a certification system for continuing education as a requirement for occupying and remaining in a position or position, or offering outside consulting or advice; ordering the Institute to prepare the necessary forms for notification by government bodies, and for other related purposes.

To create the “Act on Incentives for Hiring People with Functional Diversity in the Private Sector” and to establish a system of tiered tax incentives to promote the hiring, retention and development of people with functional diversity in the private sector, as well as to promote accessible and inclusive work environments in compliance with the public policy of the Government of Puerto Rico on equity and labor inclusion.

Date: April 30, 2025

To order the Puerto Rico Senate Health Commission to conduct an investigation into the uniformity in the application of immunity and the establishment of a cap on claims for medical malpractice exclusively in cases of negligence in Puerto Rico, considering the differences in the legal protection granted to doctors under the jurisdiction of the Industrial Commission compared to those who practice with or without privileges in private medical facilities, in order to identify mechanisms that contribute to the retention of the medical profession on the Island.

San Juan, Puerto Rico. April 9, 2025 — Faced with growing public interest in issues related to international trade and tariffs, the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute reminded citizens that, on its official website, www.estadisticas.pr, the “External Trade Interface” tool is available, where they can access official data on imports and exports of goods in Puerto Rico.

The Foreign Trade section of the portal contains monthly statistics on the value and volume of goods entering and leaving the jurisdiction. This information allows us to know what products Puerto Rico exports, to which countries they are going and, in turn, which products are imported and from which countries they come. This data is useful for identifying business opportunities abroad, as well as within Puerto Rico. In addition, they are an important input for the preparation of Puerto Rico's Gross Domestic Product statistics.

“At a time when issues of international trade and tariffs are an active part of the public conversation, it is essential that citizens have access to official and reliable information that allows them to carry out adequate analyses and make informed decisions,” said Dr. Orville M. Disdier Flores, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.

The statistics are collected and processed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection And the U.S. Census Bureau, using customs and export declaration forms that are completed when importing or exporting goods. The Institute downloads, processes, transforms and organizes data so that information is available exclusively for Puerto Rico with its business partners.

As part of his commitment to statistical education, Dr. Ronald Hernández, Manager of Statistical Projects at the Institute, indicated that those interested in learning more about this tool can access a Webinar free of charge that explains in detail how to access, interpret and use foreign trade data. The video is available at the following link: https://youtu.be/2yuAh9X6qK4.

The Foreign Trade section allows you to filter the search and download of data since July 2002, according to different classifications used in economic analysis and international trade. These classifications include HTS systems and Schedule B, aimed at the classification of goods, including their tariff component; the SITC, used for the comparative analysis of trade by type of product; and the NAICS, which allows aggregation by sector or industry of origin or destination.

To access the External Trade Interface, you can visit www.estadisticas.pr and access the Foreign Trade section under the “Applications” tab. For the best experience, we recommend that you use the Firefox browser.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is an autonomous governmental entity responsible for coordinating the Government's statistical production service to ensure that the data collection and statistics systems, on which public policies are based, are complete, reliable, and have quick and universal access.

For more information you can write to preguntas@estadisticas.pr. They can also follow social networks through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), X (@EstadisticasPR), LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) and Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) accounts.

‍

Date: April 1, 2025

To establish the “Law for the Care of Students with Epilepsy in Public and Private School Institutions in Puerto Rico”; to outline the processes that schools must follow to manage epileptic seizures; to ensure the provision of reasonable accommodations to students with epilepsy; to prohibit discrimination based on the diagnosis of epilepsy; and to enact other complementary provisions.

Date: March 21, 2025

To amend Section 1 of Act No. 170 of May 4, 1949, as amended, to provide for the availability requirements for the granting of the High School Equivalency Exam; and to enact other complementary provisions.