Puerto Rico House committee reviews Bill 37 to update fireworks rules amid disposal, safety and import concerns

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The House Public Safety Committee on April 8 heard testimony on House Bill 37, a measure to amend Puerto Rico's law on the sale, manufacture, licensing and distribution of fireworks and other pyrotechnics.

The measure was introduced at a committee hearing chaired by Representative Félix Pacheco Burgos and drew witnesses from the Department of Public Safety (DSP), the Police Bureau's Office of Explosives and Public Safety, the Fire Corps (Negociado del Cuerpo de Bomberos), the Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO) and the Office of the Veterans' Advocate.

Why it matters: Witnesses described both public-safety and fiscal strains tied to illegal pyrotechnics. Police officials said large seizures of illegal material are costly to store and dispose of, and that Puerto Rico lacks EPA-authorized facilities to handle hazardous pyrotechnic waste. Fire officials and inspectors urged stricter operational requirements and training for personnel who handle, store or set off fireworks. Consumer-affairs staff said the agency lacks a budget to run the kind of public-awareness campaign the bill would require.

Department of Public Safety testimony

Arthur Garfer, listed in the record as secretary of the Department of Public Safety, said the legislation's intent aligns with the department's public-safety policy and that the department supports clarifying rules on fireworks and pyrotechnics. In the hearing transcript he told the committee, in Spanish, "La intención legislativa está alineada con la política…