Para enmendar el inciso (j) del Artículo 3 de la Ley 230 de 23 de julio de 1974, según enmendada, conocida como “Ley de Contabilidad del Gobierno de Puerto Rico”; y establecer la responsabilidad del Departamento de Hacienda de adoptar reglamentación administrativa con el fin de requerir que las asignaciones, los gastos y las ganancias generadas por servicios de tecnología e informática provistos o contratados por el Gobierno de Puerto Rico se divulguen de forma específica en un informe anual; con el fin de garantizar la transparencia cuando una empresa privada es contratada o subcontratada para ejercer funciones adjudicadas al Estado por virtud de la Constitución de Puerto Rico, las leyes o la reglamentación administrativa; y para decretar otras disposiciones complementarias.

2025-2028 Session

Requires Puerto Rico's Finance Department to mandate annual detailed public reporting of government technology and IT service spending, whether provided internally or by private contractors, to improve fiscal transparency.

Referido a Comisión(es)

Legislative bill overview

Bill PC 868 amends Puerto Rico's Government Accounting Law (Law 230 of 1974) to require the Department of Finance to create regulations mandating detailed annual reporting of technology and information services costs, expenses, and revenues—whether provided directly by government or contracted to private companies. The bill aims to establish transparency requirements for private sector involvement in state functions and related spending.

Why is this important

Puerto Rico's government has faced recurring scrutiny over technology contract spending and vendor relationships. This bill directly addresses public accountability by requiring disaggregated financial disclosure of IT service costs, making it easier for legislators and citizens to track government technology expenditures and evaluate whether private contracting represents value for taxpayers. Transparent IT spending data is critical for identifying potential inefficiencies, cost overruns, or problematic vendor arrangements.

Potential points of contention

Competitive disadvantage concerns: Private contractors may argue that detailed public disclosure of contract terms, costs, and performance metrics could disadvantage them competitively or expose proprietary information, potentially reducing bidding participation.

Implementation burden and costs: The Department of Finance must develop new accounting frameworks and reporting systems, requiring administrative resources and potential software investments to segregate and report IT spending separately.

Scope ambiguity: The bill doesn't clearly define which "technology and informatics services" must be reported (does this include all IT, only major contracts, internal staff costs?), potentially leading to regulatory disputes and inconsistent compliance.