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Legislative hearing examines bill to shorten municipal notice for emergency utility work; agencies warn of safety, reimbursement risks
Summary
The House of Representatives’ Comisión de Asuntos Municipales held a hearing May 14 on Proyecto de la Cámara 430, which would reduce from five days to 24 hours the written-notice period municipal governments must give before beginning utility-repair work during a declared municipal emergency.
The House of Representatives’ Comisión de Asuntos Municipales held a public hearing May 14 on Proyecto de la Cámara 430, a proposal to amend inciso 5 del artículo 1.018 of Ley 107 de 2020 (Código Municipal de Puerto Rico) to cut the required written notification from five days to 24 hours before a municipality may begin work to restore electrical service or water and wastewater systems during a declared municipal emergency.
Why it matters: The change would speed municipal responses after disasters but, according to agency witnesses, could endanger workers, complicate eligibility for federal reimbursements and conflict with existing operational roles and contractual arrangements between public utilities and private operators.
Maricarmen Zapata Acosta, directora ejecutiva de la Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica (AEE), told the commission that the bill’s goal—to enable faster municipal action—“tiene el potencial de reducir significativamente los tiempos de respuesta,” but she warned that certification by the AEE or operators alone would not automatically make municipal work eligible for FEMA reimbursement. Zapata noted FEMA’s rules require the legally responsible entity to be the applicant for funds and for municipal work to be formally requested and authorized by that legal applicant.
Luis Ortiz Salgado, vicepresidente de operaciones de la Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillado (AAA), said the AAA opposes shortening the notice period from five days to 24 hours. Ortiz argued that the AAA needs time to evaluate damages, coordinate safe work, verify regulatory compliance and assemble documentation that FEMA and other regulators require. He said the measure does not define “justa causa” and does not establish consequences for municipalities that intervene without authorization: “Nos oponemos a que ese tiempo se reduzca,” Ortiz said.
Representatives of Luma Energy, the private operator for Puerto Rico’s transmission and distribution system, warned of safety and system-stability risks if third parties work on the T&D network without sufficient coordination. Hamilton Lugo Anguita, director de operaciones en línea de transmisión de Luma, described the operator’s emergency response plan (ERP) and said uncoordinated interventions can cause “grave daño corporal o la muerte a los empleados y contratistas” and can produce additional damage to the grid. Luma gave examples of preexisting collaborative arrangements—memorandos de entendimiento and “cuentas claves” contacts—that have allowed some municipalities to coordinate work under the current framework.
Luma also recommended that, if the legislature shortens the notice period, the law should specify minimum notification contents (for example: contractor names and credentials, insurance policies, start and end times, daily work itineraries, contact information and copies of municipal contracts) so operators and agencies can assess safety and eligibility for federal assistance.
Some municipal and legislative speakers described cases where mayors and municipal crews provided immediate support after major storms, including clearing access or providing generators. Several lawmakers urged that operational protocols and prequalified municipal crews or memoranda of understanding be formalized before changing the statutory notice period. Doctora Michelle Hernández de Freily (Luma) said that when protocols and good-faith coordination exist, “en menos de 24 horas pudiera coordinarse todo.”
No vote on Proyecto de la Cámara 430 was recorded during the hearing. Agency witnesses agreed to continue dialogue with legislators and with municipal officials to define protocols, lists of regional contacts and model agreements ahead of the June start of the hurricane season.
The commission asked agencies to provide contact lists for regional coordinators and to share emergency-response plans and suggested contract language or model MOUs to clarify responsibilities, documentation and certification processes needed for FEMA reimbursement.
