Senate holds hearings on competing permitting reform bills.

Natural and Environmental Resources Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez, center, testified in support of several objectives in Senate Bill 1183 on permitting reform, including uniformity, administrative coordination and technological modernization.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Senate Committee on Innovation, Reform, and Appointments, chaired by Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz, held its fifth public hearing Monday as lawmakers continued evaluating two competing proposals to overhaul Puerto Rico’s permitting system.

The measures -- Senate Bill (SB) 1173, authored by Rivera Schatz, and SB 1183, introduced by Gov. Jenniffer González Colón -- have drawn extensive testimony from municipalities, agencies, and industry groups over the past several weeks.

Rivera Schatz opened the session by reiterating that the Senate’s goal is to modernize and streamline permitting without weakening environmental protections, public safety, or the oversight responsibilities of government entities. He again expressed reservations about the breadth of SB 1183, which proposes a sweeping reorganization of the permitting structure.

“One bill is an extensive 800‑page [measure] with numerous implementations and amendments, while the other focuses on streamlining daily operations to immediately expedite processes as much as possible,” Rivera Schatz said, contrasting his proposal with the governor’s. He warned that the structural changes contemplated in SB 1183 -- including the repeal of 14 laws, harmonization of 29 others, and the creation of new boards, offices, and geoeconomic zones -- could take more than a year to implement.

The Senate president questioned whether the government has the capacity to execute a reorganization of that magnitude.

“It would take more than a year from the formal establishment of the structure until it begins operating,” he said, adding that the concentration of decision‑making powers proposed in the governor’s bill raises additional concerns.

Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez testified in support of several objectives in SB 1183, including uniformity, administrative coordination and technological modernization. However, he emphasized that any reform must preserve environmental oversight functions and protect federal delegations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Quiles recommended keeping the authority to issue permits separate from environmental compliance responsibilities, ensuring that the DNER retains jurisdiction over inspections, monitoring, complaints and enforcement. He also urged lawmakers to maintain the specialized technical capacity of environmental agencies and to coordinate any structural changes with the EPA.

Regarding SB 1173, the DNER secretary deferred to comments previously submitted by the Office of Permit Management and the Puerto Rico Planning Board, particularly on operational matters.

In a pointed exchange, Rivera Schatz defended language in subsection B of Section 10.50.03 of SB 1173, which affirms the DNER’s authority to identify ecologically sensitive and conservation areas. The agency had raised concerns about the scope of that authority. Rivera Schatz argued that the provision neither expands nor diminishes the powers of the DNER or the Planning Board, and contrasted it with SB 1183, which he said would remove the latter from project management roles.

Ismael Sánchez, president of the Puerto Rico chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America, endorsed elements of both bills aimed at reducing duplication and accelerating evaluations through digital tools. He supported formalizing the Single Information System as the centralized platform for filing and managing documents, arguing it would reduce delays and prevent redundant submissions.

Sánchez also backed the creation of a consolidated construction permit to integrate civil and environmental processes, allowing multiple professionals to review projects simultaneously. He recommended eliminating certain pre‑consultation requirements in incidental procedures and expediting the Incidental Single Permit for projects that already have approved construction permits and completed environmental assessments.

José Tirado García, president of the United Firefighters Union of Puerto Rico, cautioned that efficiency reforms cannot come at the expense of fire prevention or human safety. He insisted that the state fire prevention inspector must retain a central role in the permitting system, not a “residual” one.

Tirado García called for mandatory public inspections for high‑risk occupancies, periodic audits of private certifications, and required consultation with the Firefighters Bureau’s technical team before adopting regulations related to fire safety. He cited past tragedies, including the Dupont Plaza fire, as reminders of the consequences of weakened oversight.

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