Governor signs measures on agriculture, political advertising and medical cannabis; vetoes driving‑school licensing bill
By THE STAR STAFF
Governor Jenniffer González Colón on Sunday enacted four new laws and one joint resolution, while issuing a veto on Senate Bill 759, a measure authored by Sen. Héctor Joaquín Sánchez that sought to shift regulatory power over Category 3 driving schools exclusively to the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP).
The vetoed bill proposed amending Article 17.02 of Puerto Rico’s Vehicles and Traffic Act to grant DTOP sole authority to regulate and issue licenses for Category 3 driving schools. It also aimed to remove these schools and their instructors from the definition of vehicle‑rental enterprises under the Public Service Act, effectively eliminating oversight by the Bureau of Transportation and Other Public Services. The measure required corresponding regulatory changes and a transfer of jurisdiction to DTOP.
Among the approved measures is Law 201‑2026, which expands academic and financial protections for military students enrolled in postsecondary institutions. The statute formally includes members of the U.S. Space Force and recognizes activations related to natural disasters, humanitarian missions and public‑health emergencies.
Law 203‑2026 broadens the Manos Pa’l Campo program beyond the coffee sector, extending it to all agricultural activities. The measure authorizes the participation of individuals in the correctional system and allows the hiring of temporary foreign labor when local and correctional workforces are insufficient. The Department of Correction and Rehabilitation will retain 20% of participant earnings to cover administrative and security costs.
In the electoral sphere, Law 202‑2026 adds a formal definition of political propaganda to the Electoral Code, covering signs, stickers, audio recordings, images and electronic media used to influence electoral processes.
On labor matters, Law 204‑2026 creates exceptions to employment protections for authorized medical‑cannabis patients who perform sensitive transportation functions. The provision applies to truck drivers, school‑bus operators, taxi drivers and digital‑platform drivers, subject to established evidentiary requirements.
