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PC 717

Para añadir un nuevo Artículo 519 a la Ley Núm. 4 de 23 de junio de 1971, según enmendada, conocida como “Ley de Sustancias Controladas de Puerto Rico”, con el fin de establecer un Registro sobre las intervenciones y procesamiento por la posesión y/o distribución de sustancias controladas en Puerto Rico que incluya entre sus indicadores la edad, vecindad, profesión, escolaridad y estado civil de las personas arrestadas y/o imputadas de cometer el delito de distribución y/o posesión de sustancias controladas; y para otros fines relacionados.

2025-2028 Session

Puerto Rico creates drug enforcement registry tracking arrests/indictments with demographic data to analyze enforcement patterns and inform substance control policy decisions.

Referido a Comisión(es)
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Bill Summary · PC 717

Legislative bill overview

Bill PC 717 proposes adding a new Article 519 to Puerto Rico's Controlled Substances Law (Law No. 4 of 1971) to establish a comprehensive registry tracking arrests and indictments for drug possession and distribution. The registry would collect demographic data including age, neighborhood, profession, education level, and marital status of arrested or charged individuals.

Why is this important

This bill aims to create systematic data collection on drug-related enforcement in Puerto Rico, which could inform public policy decisions, identify enforcement patterns, and support evidence-based approaches to drug policy. Such registries are commonly used by governments to assess disparities in enforcement, evaluate program effectiveness, and guide resource allocation in criminal justice.

Potential points of contention

  • Privacy concerns: Collecting and maintaining detailed personal information on arrested individuals raises questions about data security, long-term storage, and potential misuse of sensitive demographic information
  • Enforcement disparities: The demographic focus (neighborhood, profession, education) could expose or highlight unequal enforcement patterns across socioeconomic groups, creating pressure for policy changes or raising concerns about profiling
  • Purpose clarity: The bill does not explicitly state how data will be used, accessed, or reported, leaving ambiguity about whether results will be public, restricted to law enforcement, or available to researchers

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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