The Puerto Rico House of Representatives approved Senate Bill (PS) 1551 on Thursday by discharge petition, postponing the ban on single-use plastics until December 31, 2031. The measure passed without amendments and without debate, by 28 votes in favor and 24 against, and now goes to Governor Jenniffer González for review. The Senate also approved it by discharge petition, with 24 votes in favor and four against, from senators Ada Álvarez Conde, José Luis Dalmau, Adrián González Costa and María de Lourdes Santiago.
The bill, authored by San Juan district senator Nitza Morán Trinidad, also amends Law 51-2022 so that penalties in articles 4 and 6 for the sale and use of these disposable plastics take effect January 1, 2032. It divides the transition into three phases: planning and regulation through June 30, 2028; voluntary adoption and support for merchants from July 1, 2028 to June 30, 2031; and guidance and notices without penalty during the second half of 2031.
Article 6 lets the Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO) issue administrative fines of $500 for a first infraction, $1,000 for a second and $5,000 for a third and subsequent ones. The ban was never implemented due to administrative and legislative moratoriums; it is currently set to take effect December 31, 2026, with penalties January 1, 2027.
If enacted, the 2031 date could only be changed by the Legislature, not by administrative action.