Para enmendar el Artículo 11 de la Ley Núm. 75 de 24 de junio de 1975, según enmendada, conocida como "Ley Orgánica de la Junta de Planificación de Puerto Rico", a los fines de incorporar nuevas funciones relacionadas con la integración de consideraciones de cambio climático y sostenibilidad ambiental en los procesos de planificación, la promoción del uso de tecnologías digitales para mayor transparencia y participación ciudadana en los trámites de zonificación y desarrollo, y el fortalecimiento de la coordinación con los municipios en la elaboración y revisión de planes locales de usos de terrenos; garantizar la alineación con políticas públicas de resiliencia, gobierno electrónico y autonomía municipal; y para otros fines relacionados.

2025-2028 Session

Puerto Rico expands Planning Board authority to integrate climate resilience and digital transparency into zoning while strengthening municipal coordination on land-use planning.

Derrotado a viva voz

Legislative bill overview

Bill PS 959 amends Puerto Rico's Planning Board Organic Law to integrate climate change and environmental sustainability considerations into planning processes, promote digital technologies for transparency and civic participation in zoning procedures, and strengthen coordination between the Planning Board and municipalities on land-use planning. The bill aims to align planning activities with public policies on resilience, e-government, and municipal autonomy.

Why is this important

Puerto Rico faces significant climate vulnerabilities including hurricanes, flooding, and sea-level rise, making climate-informed planning critical for infrastructure and community protection. The bill addresses governance modernization by digitizing processes and increasing citizen participation, while clarifying the Planning Board's relationship with municipal governments—an important issue given Puerto Rico's recovery and development challenges.

Potential points of contention

Implementation costs and timeline: Digitizing zoning systems and integrating climate assessments requires substantial investment and technical capacity that municipalities may lack, potentially creating implementation delays or unequal progress across different municipalities.

Municipal autonomy versus centralized planning: While the bill promotes "municipal autonomy," it simultaneously expands Planning Board oversight of municipal land-use plans, which could be viewed as limiting local decision-making authority if coordination mechanisms aren't clearly defined.

Climate criteria definition: The bill doesn't specify what "climate change and environmental sustainability considerations" means in practice, leaving room for disagreement on how strictly these standards should apply to development projects and whether they might restrict economic development.