USA: RSF urges Puerto Rico governor to veto bill that would strip public's access to information

Rushed through Puerto Rico's legislature in October without the opportunity for a public hearing, SB63adds several bureaucratic steps to the process for requesting information. The bill was passed by the House in November and the governor must sign or veto it by January 4, 2026. Without any action, the bill automatically becomes law. On December 8, RSF and a coalition of 12 other civil society groups sent a letterto the governor urging her to veto the bill.

Limiting transparency and restricting journalists' work

SB 63 creates several potential loopholes for government agencies to delay or avoid disclosures, including placing limits on agencies' creation of new documents in response to requests or in the format requested, making analysis more difficult. The bill also allows the government to designate any information as classified without prior judicial review and removes privacy protections for information requestors, making them vulnerable to persecution.

The bill will also create new, restrictive time constraints. In the event the government could not provide the information requested, the requester would only have a matter of days to attend an in-person review of any available agency documents that may be pertinent, creating yet another obstacle to obtaining information the public has a right to access. The bill also doubles the amount of time the government can take to release any requested information to almost 50 business days. Such a delay is especially detrimental to journalists, whose job is to keep the public informed on government actions in a timely manner.

Puerto Rico has a history of press and free speech restrictions, including 2020 lawthat targeted reporting on COVID-19 and natural disasters. The law was ultimately struck down by a mainland US judge in 2023 for violating the First Amendment of the Constitution, as it created a chilling effect on speech in Puerto Rico when that speech was needed the most.

As the United States continues to sink lower on the RSF World Press Freedom Index, and as journalists are increasingly under attack from the Trump administration, Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States, should stand as an example of protecting press freedoms and reject SB 63.