House finance committee debates bill to redirect unclaimed lottery and racing prizes to municipal animal-control and caregiver programs

The Commission on Finance and Budget of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico held a Sept. 18 hearing on Proyecto de la Cámara 511, which would direct a share of unclaimed prizes and tickets from the horse‑racing industry and Puerto Rico lotteries into a special account to fund municipal animal‑control, adoption and vaccination programs, microchipping and support for amas de llaves (home caregivers).

The measure drew support from members who called it a response to growing local needs for animal control and elder care. But officials from the Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto (OGP) and the Comisión de Juegos warned the proposal would not create new revenue and could reduce amounts flowing to the general fund and to programs that now rely on those receipts.

OGP legal adviser Carmen Guillén González said the proposal “no genera ingresos nuevos ni gastos adicionales, sino que constituye una redistribución de recursos existentes,” adding that redirecting those receipts would reduce net revenues to the general fund and must be analyzed against the certified fiscal plan. Guillén also told the…