On Wednesday, the penultimate day for approving measures in the fourth legislative session of the four-year term, Puerto Rico’s Senate passed Senate Bill (PS) 1551 by voice vote, by discharge and without floor debate. The bill would delay the ban on single-use plastics until December 31, 2031 by amending Law 51-2022. The penalties in Articles 4 and 6, for selling and using these disposable plastics, would take effect January 1, 2032.
Under Article 6, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO) can issue administrative fines of $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second and $5,000 for a third and subsequent ones. The bill, authored by San Juan District Sen. Nitza Morán Trinidad, splits the transition into three phases: planning and regulation until June 30, 2028; voluntary adoption and support for merchants from July 1, 2028 to June 30, 2031; and guidance and warnings without penalties in the second half of 2031.
The bill says short extensions have not worked. Law 51-2022 originally was to take effect 24 months after passage, but the ban has never been implemented because of administrative and legislative moratoria. It is currently set for December 31, 2026, with penalties on January 1, 2027.
The latest moratorium, Law 47-2025, created a multisectoral working committee that was to report by June 30, 2026; the bill says the Legislature still lacks its recommendations. Merchants, especially food establishment owners, questioned the law and the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) and DACO regulation over what counts as reusable or compostable. If enacted, only the Legislature could change the 2031 date.
The bill now goes to the House of Representatives, which has until Thursday to approve measures this session.