A new bill in Puerto Rico would allow edicts and other notices required by law to be published in digital newspapers rather than only in print. The measure coincides with GFR Media’s September 21 announcement that it will suspend the print editions of its newspapers El Nuevo Día and Primera Hora. According to the company’s union, USW local 6135, the move will cost more than 150 workers their jobs.
The bill’s author, Senator Ángel Toledo López, said on social media that the closure of print editions of major island media "forces us to update our legal framework." Microjuris asked the Judiciary for a statement on the validity of an edict published in a digital newspaper rather than on paper, but no response was received immediately.
Other newspapers that continue to publish in print include El Vocero and the San Juan Daily Star, among others. Senate Bill 1484 was filed on September 24, received first reading in the Senate, and was referred to the Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Toledo López himself. The legislation amends the Rules of Civil Procedure and the Uniform Administrative Procedure Act of the Government of Puerto Rico, includes regional newspapers, and gives the Department of State certain powers to set rules for these processes.