Bill 219.

Summary.

The bill amends Article 4 of Law 276 of December 30, 2021, which governs integrated solid waste management in the Republic of Panama. It retains the classification of waste by characteristics—hazardous, nonhazardous, and special—and by origin—domestic or resulting from economic activity. The special handling category lists dead animals, tires, textiles, scrap and discarded land, air, or water vehicles, packaged liquid waste, bulky waste, household furnishings, discarded electrical and electronic equipment, construction and demolition waste, sludge, discarded office furniture, and discarded works or pieces of art. Article 7 specifically identifies changes to subparagraphs d and h and the addition of subparagraphs k and l to Article 4.

The bill adds Chapter I-A, entitled Prior Stage Plan for Integrated Waste Management, to Title III on Integrated Waste Management. The chapter comprises Articles 21-A and 21-B. The plan would apply to state entities, including public, mixed, decentralized, autonomous, and semi-autonomous entities. They would have to clean up and collect special handling solid waste from their indoor and outdoor premises and make it available to the Urban and Household Sanitation Authority (Autoridad de Aseo Urbano y Domiciliario) for final disposal as soon as possible.

Article 21-A would require those entities to classify the special handling waste they administer as unused or deteriorated at least dos (2) times a year. Examples include scrap and discarded vehicles, office furniture, works or pieces of art, and electrical and electronic equipment. Items classified as deteriorated would have to be repaired within no more than tres (3) months. Entities would also have to discard such waste at least dos (2) times a year, and clean up and collect discarded waste at least una (1) time a year within the fiscal period. They would further have to ensure that the Urban and Household Sanitation Authority removes and fully disposes of discarded waste from their premises at least una (1) time a year within the fiscal period.

Article 21-B assigns the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas) responsibility for coordinating with the Urban and Household Sanitation Authority and ensuring that state institutions comply with the plan and its deadlines. The amendment to Article 80 provides that the State would ensure implementation of the Law and that the Ministry of Economy and Finance would include the necessary resources in the General State Budget for each fiscal period. Those resources would cover projects and the Integrated Waste Management Plan, as well as the new plan, both nationwide. Article 82 directs the Executive Branch to issue implementing regulations within the next 90 days. The bill provides for the law to take effect upon promulgation.

The provisions concern the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Urban and Household Sanitation Authority, and other state institutions. They could also be of interest to sectors handling waste, vehicles, electronic equipment, furniture, construction materials, textiles, and works of art.