The IAPA and 13 other Organizations Warn of Risks Posed by Proposed Amendments to Puerto Rico's Transparency Law

The organizations stated that Senate Bill 63 (SB 63), which seeks to amend Puerto Rico’s 2019 Transparency and Expedited Procedure for Access to Public Information Act, would limit government transparency and severely restrict the work of journalists. The measure adds new restrictions and hurdles that would delay the release of public information.

If approved, SB 63 would give the government new tools and mechanisms to deny the disclosure of public information. SB 63 would double the amount of time government agencies have to release requested information, allow the government to classify information as confidential without judicial review, and eliminate personal privacy protections for those who request information.

The bill would remove the government’s previous obligation, established in the 2019 law, to provide information in the requested format, making data analysis more difficult. SB 63 would also allow the government to deny valid requests by claiming that the information is dispersed across multiple documents or agencies.