Under bill, parents of minor athletes could enter some sports tourneys for free.

By THE STAR STAFF

The House Committee on Recreation and Sports, chaired by Rep. Luis “Josean” Jiménez, on Monday began its evaluation of House Bill 1158, aimed at establishing the “Act for the Protection and Accompaniment of Minors at Sporting Events.” 

The bill seeks to mandate that any organizer of a sporting event involving a minor must allow free admission for one responsible adult for every participating minor, provided the event takes place at a public facility.

During the public hearing, Juan Carlos García Rivera, the administrative director of the Legal Counsel Office at the Department of Recreation and Sports (DRD), expressed his support for the measure sponsored by Rep. Estrella Martínez Soto. He stated that it is “not only an act of social justice but also a necessary safety tool to ensure that no minor participates in large-scale events without the proper supervision and accompaniment of a responsible adult.”

However, he recommended imposing specific requirements on event promoters as a condition for granting the DRD’s endorsement or a permit to use public facilities, thereby preventing “organizers from raising registration fees to recoup lost ticket revenue.”

“A clause could be included in the lease agreement for the public facility in which the promoter commits not to increase registration charges,” García Rivera said.

Emma Sulsona Gándara, president of the Association of Private Schools, recommended consulting with the Department of Justice regarding the legal and constitutional aspects of the measure -- specifically those related to contractual freedom between the parties -- in light of “the potential State intervention in private economic activity and the potential impairment of existing contractual relationships between event organizers and their clients.”