Bill 82.

Summary.

The bill has two stated purposes: to promote volunteer cleanup of public spaces and to increase administrative penalties for violations involving waste and refuse. It combines duties to organize cleanup events with amendments to the fine provisions of Law No. 30 of July 12, 2000. Public bodies would convene the volunteer activities, while municipalities would impose and collect penalties under the provisions that the bill proposes to amend.

The Ministry of Environment (Ministerio de Ambiente), the Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud), the Urban and Household Sanitation Authority of Panama (Autoridad de Aseo Urbano y Domiciliario de Panamá), municipalities and communal boards would be required to organize and promote volunteer cleanup events. The bill lists public roads, parks, public schools, wetlands and beaches, and also covers any other public space. Each event would have to be announced through the organizing public body's communication channels. Responsibility for convening and publicizing an event would therefore rest with the public body organizing it under the duties set out in the bill.

The organizing public body would have to maintain a digital register of people interested in participating. It would use that register to estimate the personal protective equipment and supplies needed for the assigned tasks. The bill requires those items to be provided to volunteers. Where volunteers belong to a public or private academic institution, the organizing public body would promote recognition of their participation in the cleanup as community service. This provision concerns the steps taken by the body convening the event and the possible academic recognition of the work performed.

On administrative penalties, the bill amends Article 1 of Law No. 30 of July 12, 2000. The proposed wording empowers municipalities to impose administrative sanctions for breaches of laws and rules on waste and refuse management, according to the order of application and the seriousness of the case. It sets a fine ranging from 20 balboas (B/.20.00) to 3,000 balboas (B/.3,OOO). This amendment addresses the amount of the fine in that article and the municipal power to impose it.

The bill also amends Article 6 of the same law to address fines that have been imposed but remain unpaid. An unpaid fine would triple after one year and increase fivefold after two years. If it remained unpaid after two years, the case would be referred to the enforcement judge of the respective municipality for compulsory collection. Article 7 identifies Articles 1 and 6 of Law No. 30 of July 12, 2000, as the provisions amended. Article 8 provides that the law would take effect on the day after its promulgation.

The public bodies connected with the bill's provisions are the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Health, the Urban and Household Sanitation Authority of Panama, municipalities and communal boards. Its contents also concern public and private academic institutions, their students, volunteer participants and people who may face municipal penalties for waste and refuse management violations. The places expressly mentioned include public schools, roads, parks, wetlands and beaches in Panama.