Para enmendar el inciso (1) del apartado (e) del Artículo 16 del Título IV 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 fin de que la Junta de Planificación requiera dentro de su reglamentación una inspección estructural “milestone inspection” a edificaciones de más de treinta (30) años de construidas, públicas o privadas, con capacidad para albergar a una cantidad mayor de mil (1,000) personas, así como cada diez (10) años subsecuentemente; disponer mediante reglamentación los requisitos mínimos de los informes, divulgación y cumplimiento con las inspecciones estructurales; y facultar a la Oficina de Gerencia de Permisos (OGPe), así como a los municipios, a requerir y hacer efectivo la inspección estructural para este tipo de edificación en el proceso de permisos de construcción ante ellos.

2025-2028 Session

Puerto Rico requires structural inspections every 10 years for 30+ year-old buildings holding 1,000+ people, enforced through permit processes by OGPe and municipalities.

Referido a Comisión(es)

Legislative bill overview

Bill PC 1063 amends Puerto Rico's Planning Board law to require mandatory structural "milestone inspections" for buildings over 30 years old with capacity for more than 1,000 people, with follow-up inspections every 10 years thereafter. The bill empowers the Office of Permit Management (OGPe) and municipalities to enforce these inspections through building permit processes and establishes minimum standards for inspection reports and compliance disclosure.

Why is this important

Given Puerto Rico's aging building stock and exposure to hurricanes and seismic activity, structural safety oversight of large-capacity facilities is a critical public safety issue. This legislation directly addresses building failure risks that could endanger thousands of occupants in schools, hospitals, entertainment venues, and other public gathering spaces while establishing regulatory accountability mechanisms.

Potential points of contention

Implementation burden and costs: Property owners of affected buildings may face significant inspection and remediation expenses, potentially creating disputes over cost allocation between public/private entities and timeline feasibility

Regulatory authority jurisdiction: Potential overlap and coordination challenges between OGPe, municipalities, and the Planning Board in enforcement could create confusion about which entity has final authority and responsibility

Exemptions and scope ambiguity: The bill doesn't clearly address whether certain public buildings (government offices, military facilities) are exempt, or how inspection standards will be defined, potentially leading to inconsistent enforcement