Act No. 141

(S.B. 1209)
(No. 141)
(Approved June 11, 2004)
AN ACT
To
create an award to be known as the “Miguel Angel García Méndez
Legislative Oratory Award”, to be bestowed upon the winners of an
annual oratory competition sponsored by the Legislature with the
participation of the students of public and private educational
institutions of Puerto Rico at the Intermediate, Superior, University
Undergraduate and Law School levels; to establish the “Joint
Legislative Committee for Granting the Miguel Angel García Méndez
Legislative Oratory Award”; to authorize said Committee to adopt
rules for its internal operations; to provide for all matters relative to
the organization, administration and operations of said Committee and
the competition; and for other related purposes.
STATEMENT OF MOTIVES
From classical antiquity democratic societies have held in great
esteem and affectionately acknowledged those political leaders who with
their
gift
for
eloquently
expressing
themselves
and
for
their
accomplishments have ennobled the public debate and embodied the ideal of
service to the people which constitutes the essence of the liberal model of a
representative government. In Puerto Rico we have been particularly
fortunate in having throughout our history a great many patriots and
illustrious men and women of all ideologies, movements and political parties
who, through their discourse and deportment while in the public arena, have
brought us honor and distinction as a people. The list, even if limited to the
past century, is as long as it is well known: Luis Muñoz Rivera, José Celso
Barbosa, José de Diego, José Tous Soto, Antonio R. Barceló, Rafael
Martínez Nadal, Santiago Iglesias Pantín, Jesús T. Piñero, Bolívar Págan,
Antonio Fernós Isern, Ernesto Ramos Antonini, Samuel R. Quiñones,
Leopoldo Figueroa, Luis Muñoz Marín, Gilberto Concepción de Gracia,
Roberto Sánchez Vilella and Luis A. Ferré, to mention only the most
obvious and best known. There is, however, general consensus in that
among such distinguished company it is Miguel Angel García Méndez who
deserves a place of honor since he distinguished himself above all others for
many reasons.
This illustrious Puerto Rican, who throughout his long career
distinguished himself as attorney, politician and public speaker, was born in
the municipality of Aguadilla on November 17, 1902. He graduated from the
University of Puerto Rico Law School in 1922. That same year a paper he
wrote on constitutional law was given an award by Princeton University.
After serving as municipal judge in San Germán in 1923-24, he devoted
himself to the legal private practice and to politics. He was a member of the
House of Representatives for the Alianza Puertorriqueña party from 1928 to
1940 and presided over that legislative body from 1933 to 1940. During the
elections of that year he ran for the office of Resident Commissioner for the
Unificación Puertorriqueña Tripartita, an entity which elected him vicepresident in 1941. Subsequently he retired from politics for a time and
devoted himself to activities related to industry and agriculture.
In 1950 he returned to active politics and in 1951 became a Delegate
to the Constitutional Convention that drafted the Constitution of Puerto
Rico. From then on he was a member of the Partido Estadista Repulicano, a
party which he presided from 1952 to 1968 and for which he was elected
Senator in the 1952, 1956, 1960 and 1964 elections. He passed away in
1998, after having distanced himself from active politics for the last thirty
years of his life, although maintaining both the gratitude of his colleagues
and the admiration and respect of his adversaries. Throughout his long and
fruitful political career he distinguished himself as an eloquent political
speaker and for his unquestionable mastery of the public debate. As orator
his style has been described as precise, logical and incisive, while at the
same time sober and moderate.
This law constitutes an act, though simple and modest, of well
deserved recognition and historic justice towards an illustrious figure of our
political, civic and legislative endeavor, who through his exemplary
achievements and demeanor palpably uplifted and enriched the quality of the
public debate and of our collective lives for the lasting benefit of the people.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF PUERTO RICO:
Section 1.-To establish an award to be known as the “Miguel Angel
García Méndez Legislative Oratory Award”, to reward the winners of an
annual oratory competition sponsored by the Legislature with the
participation of the students of public and private educational institutions of
Puerto Rico at the Intermediate, Superior, University Undergraduate and
Law School levels. This award shall consist of a silver medal hanging from a
length of ribbon of a suitable color and material to be established through
regulations, as provided below. The medal shall bear an inscription and a
suitable quotation to be selected by the Legislature.
Section 2.- The “Miguel Angel García Méndez Legislative Oratory
Award”, herein established, shall be bestowed by the Legislature upon the
winners of an annual oratory competition sponsored by the Legislature of
Puerto Rico with the participation of the students of public and private
educational institutions of the Island at the intermediate, superior, university
undergraduate and law school levels.
Section 3.-A “Joint Legislative Committee for Granting the Miguel
Angel García Méndez Legislative Oratory Award” shall also be established
to be constituted by eight (8) members, to wit, four (4) members of the
Senate of Puerto Rico, appointed by the President of the Senate, and four (4)
members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives. Not more than two (2) members from each Body
may belong to the same political party. The members of the Committee shall
choose from among themselves by simple majority, a Committee
chairperson and a secretary.
Section
4.-The
Committee
shall
receive
nominations
and
recommendations concerning the students deserving of that distinction. The
candidates selected may be chosen from among students recommended by
any person or public or private entity or selected by the Committee itself.
Section 5.-The Committee shall be authorized to adopt rules for its
internal operations, establish criteria and parameters for holding the
competition and the adjudication of the awards, promulgate regulations to
enforce the provisions of this Act and advise the Legislature as to the
inscription and quotation the medal shall bear.
Section 6.-The financing for the operations of the Committee and for
holding the competition shall be charged to the budgets of each Legislative
Body in equal parts, or in any proportion which the President of the Senate
and the Speaker of the House establish by mutual agreement. The
Committee is hereby authorized to accept funds or donations proceeding
from private, Commonwealth, Municipal or Federal sources to match said
funds.
Section 7.-This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 141 (S.B. 1209) of
the 7th Session of the 14th Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT
to create an award to be known as the “Miguel Angel García Méndez
Legislative Oratory Award”, to be bestowed upon the winners of an annual
oratory competition sponsored by the Legislature with the participation of
the students of public and private educational institutions of Puerto Rico at
the Intermediate, Superior, University Undergraduate and Law School
levels; etc.,
has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today 2nd of June of 2005.
Luis E. Fusté-Lacourt
Director