Dignity Project unveils anti‑corruption legislative package

Dignity Project President Nilda Pérez Martínez

By THE STAR STAFF

The Dignity Project (Proyecto Dignidad) rolled out a broad anti‑corruption agenda on Monday, presenting a list of bills aimed at increasing transparency, curbing political influence in government contracting, regulating lobbying and closing loopholes that allow private interests to exert undue pressure on public decision‑making.

The package includes House Bills (HB) 1358, 1359, 1361, 1362 and 1367, all introduced by at‑large Rep. Lisie Burgos Muñiz, the party’s spokesperson in the Legislature, along with support for HB 42, which would establish a formal lobbying registry. The conservative minority party also endorsed a multisector initiative led by political consultant Jorge Colberg to prohibit the use of public funds to pay for lobbying services tied to government projects.

“Puerto Rico doesn’t need more speeches against corruption,” Dignity Project (DP) President Nilda Pérez Martínez said, emphasizing that transparency and accountability must transcend partisan lines. “It needs clear controls that prevent corruption before it happens.” 

HB 1361 would require any individual or entity seeking a government contract to submit a sworn statement disclosing all political donations and coordinated expenditures made in the previous four years. Once a contract is finalized, contractors would be barred from making political contributions for the duration of the agreement.

“The public contracting process must respond to merit and the best interest of the people, never political influence,” Burgos Muñiz said in a statement.

HB 1358 targets corruption schemes involving newly created companies with no track record. The measure would prohibit government entities from awarding contracts to firms with fewer than four years of incorporation and less than three years of experience in the relevant service area. Any contract granted in violation of the rule would be considered void, and services rendered would be deemed “graciously offered,” with no right to payment.

HB 1359 seeks to modernize oversight of legislative spending, setting a $5,000 annual cap on official travel reimbursements and eliminating outdated allocations such as the $2,500 telephone stipend. It also reduces postal spending limits and requires photographic evidence for mileage reports. Any unused funds would be redirected to the Special Fund for Remediable Catastrophic Illnesses.

HB 1367 clarifies that federal grants, reimbursements, incentives, and other U.S. government resources administered in Puerto Rico must be treated as public funds under the island’s criminal code, ensuring they receive the same legal protections as local government monies.

HB 1362 would impose a two‑year cooling‑off period before former legislators and certain high‑ranking executive officials can work as lobbyists. Intentional violations would constitute a felony, carrying a year of imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.

“The public service cannot become a platform to later market contacts or privileged access,” Burgos Muñiz said.

The DP also backed HB 42, which would create a public registry of lobbyists and entities engaged in lobbying activities. The measure aims to ensure that the public can easily identify who is attempting to influence laws, regulations or government decisions.

Additionally, the DP endorsed Colberg’s proposal to ban the use of public funds for lobbying related to government projects.

“If a project is paid for with public money, those resources must be used for the project itself, not to finance influence operations,” Pérez Martínez said.

The DP described its anti‑corruption agenda as a preventive framework built on four pillars: transparency in lobbying, separation between public contracts and political donations, restrictions on post‑government lobbying, and protection of public funds.

“The corruption fight cannot depend on which party is in power,” DP Electoral Commissioner Juan Gabriel Zayas Monge said. “It has to become a permanent rule of our system.”