House committee reviews bill to create single sports calendar, lawmakers weigh enforcement and exemptions

The House of Representatives’ Commission on Recreation and Sport heard testimony on Proyecto de la Cámara 568 and Cámara Resolution 228 on the creation of a single, department‑managed sports calendar and additional regulation of sporting events in Puerto Rico that include minors.

Proponents say a unified calendar would help the Department of Recreation and Sports (DRD) better coordinate permits, reduce overlapping events that may overload youth athletes and strengthen enforcement of existing rules; opponents and some stakeholders warned the bill as drafted could create bureaucracy, hinder sponsorship and unintentionally restrict community fundraising and established university competitions.

Edwin Hernández, representing the DRD, told the commission the measure “permitirá al departamento de recreación y deportes coordinar, regular y fiscalizar de formas efectiva todos los eventos deportivos celebrados en Puerto Rico,” while also noting the department lacks resources for full enforcement under the current regulatory framework. Hernández and the DRD called for clearer definitions in the bill and for interagency mechanisms so other permit‑issuing bodies (for example, fire and municipal authorities) require DRD endorsement before issuing event permits.

Jorge Óscar Sosa Ramírez, commissioner of the…