Government repeals 251 obsolete regulations

By The Star Staff

Governor Jenniffer Aidyn González Colón announced Thursday that 12 government agencies in Puerto Rico have repealed 251 obsolete regulations as part of the first phase of the Initiative for Deregulation and Administrative Efficiency (IDEA in Spanish).

“With IDEA, Puerto Rico eliminates what does not work, adopts responsible technologies, and sets a clear agenda for economic development,” the governor stated at a press conference.

Efficiency Coordinator, attorney Verónica Ferraiuoli Hornedo, explained that over 300 public servants were trained and that each agency created its own committee to evaluate regulations, ensuring decisions were justified and aimed at improving public management.

“With the elimination of obsolete regulations, we are clearing out decades of bureaucratic accumulation. The next step is to ensure that every new regulation comes with a regulatory efficiency certification, which will require justifying the need to regulate, considering lighter alternatives, and evaluating costs and benefits,” Ferraiuoli Hornedo noted.

It was detailed that out of 4,160 registered regulations, 90 percent had not been reviewed in more than five years. To date, 2,918 regulations have been classified: 807 will be repealed, 1,245 revised or consolidated, and 866 will remain in effect. The remaining 1,242 are still under evaluation, including 92 belonging to agencies that no longer exist.

The Housing Finance Authority eliminated a 546-page regulation that was replaced with clear rules. At the Department of Health, outdated regulations related to leprosy and auxiliary midwives were repealed, leading to updated rules aligned with modern science.

“The Department of Health took part in a historic process of reviewing and eliminating obsolete regulations that, while relevant in their time, no longer served any function in today’s reality. This regulatory cleanup never compromised patient safety or public health,” said Health Secretary Dr. Víctor Ramos Otero.

The Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) repealed 87 regulations, including 58 from the DDEC itself and 29 from the Industrial Development Company. The agency stated the measure represents a 67 percent reduction in its regulatory burden.

“We are sending a clear message: Puerto Rico is transforming to become the preferred destination for investment, where establishing and expanding operations is not only possible but efficient and attractive,” said DDEC Secretary Manuel Cidre Miranda, through Deputy Secretary Negrón-Reichard.

The Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF) consolidated eight previous rules into a single updated regulation addressing important regulatory gaps.

“At OCIF, we consolidated six regulations and two circular letters that were already obsolete. This allowed us to develop a new banking regulation that represents significant progress in clarity, consistency, and regulatory relevance,” explained Commissioner Mónica Rodríguez Valle.

The IDEA initiative is part of a broader government strategy to modernize processes. The agencies that have formally begun repealing regulations include: the Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority, Convention District Authority, Housing Finance Authority, Industrial Development Company, the departments of Economic Development and Commerce, Education, Recreation and Sports, Health, the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions, the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, the Panel on the Special Independent Prosecutor, and the Office of Management and Budget.

As a result, the average age of regulations dropped from 22 to 16 years, and the proportion of regulations not reviewed in over five years was reduced from 90 to 54 percent.

It was also reported that the Government of Puerto Rico is preparing its first official artificial intelligence policy, which will include governance structures in each agency, data protection measures, transparency requirements for citizens, and mandatory human oversight in critical decisions.

“With the implementation of Puerto Rico’s Artificial Intelligence Policy, we are establishing a solid framework that promotes the responsible use of AI. This policy, supported by standard operating procedures, not only facilitates the adoption of advanced technologies but also ensures that every AI system is properly evaluated and supervised,” said PRITS Executive Director Martín Jiménez.

The IDEA initiative was established through Executive Orders OE-2025-009 and OE-2025-023 and is supported by three administrative orders that set guiding principles, mandate a mass review of regulations, and promote the digitalization of government operations.

Each agency has a specialized committee tasked with analyzing regulations and proposing actions to simplify citizens’ lives and improve public service productivity.

For the first time, the Government of Puerto Rico is establishing a uniform regulatory review process, accompanied by clear metrics and measurable results, to prevent a future accumulation of obsolete rules.