Gov. signs order extending public agency service hours
Gov. García-Padilla signed an executive order Sunday extending government service hours. (Credit: La Fortaleza)
Gov. Alejandro García-Padilla signed Sunday an executive order to extend service hours for certain Puerto Rico government agencies, as was established by law more than a decade ago.
Act 15 of 2001 established the Extended Service Hours Program to lengthen the number of hours of a group of public entities included in the initiative, which are chosen by the acting governor.
The current order repeals an earlier one signed by former Gov. Sila María Calderón to bring current the list of participating agencies, given that many services offered by the original group of entities are now available online.
The executive order includes the following agencies:
- Department of Consumer Affairs
- State Department
- Permits Management Office;
- Department of Transportation and Public Works and its umbrella agencies;
- Department of Labor and Human Resources;
- Treasury Department;
- Health Department and its umbrella agencies;
- Family Department and its umbrella agencies;
- Municipal Revenue Collections Center;
- Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority;
- Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority;
- Puerto Rico Diabetes Center;
- State Insurance Fund;
- Accident Compensation Administration; and the
- Retirement Systems of Government and Judiciary Employees Administration
The new measure establishes schedules of Mondays through Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays, and from Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with no lunch breaks.
The executive order should be in effect in 60 days.
