The

executive branch The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems ...

of the

government of Puerto Rico The government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government with separation of powers, subject to the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States.laws of Puerto Rico, as well as causing them to be executed. Article IV of the

Constitution of Puerto Rico The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, Constitución del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico) is the controlling government document of Puerto Rico. It is composed of nine articles detailing the structure of the government ...

vests the

executive power The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems b ...

on the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

—whom by its nature forms the executive branch. The Constitution also establishes that the Secretary of State should serve as acting governor when the Governor is unable to perform his duties. The Secretary of State, therefore, performs an equivalent role to that of a Lieutenant Governor in United States politics. The

Puerto Rico Chief of Staff The Chief of Staff of Puerto Rico ( es, Secretario de la Gobernación de Puerto Rico) is the highest-ranking officer in the executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico after the governor and the secretary of state. The Chief of Staff lead ...

second-in-command Second-in-command (2i/c or 2IC) is a title denoting that the holder of the title is the second-highest authority within a certain organisation. Usage In the British Army or Royal Marines, the second-in-command is the deputy commander of a unit, ...

and manages and oversees all executive departments and almost all executive agencies. Article IV also establishes that the Governor shall be assisted by Secretaries whom shall collectively constitute the Governor's advisory council and be designated as the '' Council of Secretaries''. The Council, together with the Cabinet-level officers, compose the

Cabinet of Puerto Rico The executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico is responsible for executing the laws of Puerto Rico, as well as causing them to be executed. Article IV of the Constitution of Puerto Rico vests the executive power on the Governor—w ...

. The Constitution created eight executive departments. Later on, the Legislative Assembly reorganized one of these, and created and reorganized a few more. Today, the executive branch is composed of fifteen executive departments each headed by a Secretary.

Executive posts

Governor

Article IV of the

vests the

on the

. The Governor has a duty to enforce

state law State law refers to the law of a federated state, as distinguished from the law of the federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, o ...

s, to convene the Legislative Assembly, the power to either approve or

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto ...

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pla ...

s passed by the Legislative Assembly, to appoint government officers, to appoint

Justices A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

, and to grant

pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...

Lieutenant Governor

Puerto Rico does not have a post for

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

but the Secretary of State performs an equivalent role. Article IV of the

establishes that the Secretary of State should serve as acting governor when the Governor is unable to perform his duties. The

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these pr ...

and Puerto Rican law establishes a governmental line of succession for special cases when neither the Governor nor the Secretary are available.

Chief of Staff

Neither the

nor Puerto Rican law provide for a Chief of Staff position. However,

s proclaim an

executive order In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of t ...

establishing the post for the

who is charged with managing and overseeing all executive departments and almost all executive agencies.

Executive offices

The executive branch is led by the

Office of the Governor of Puerto Rico The Office of the Governor of Puerto Rico —commonly called ''La Fortaleza'' (English: ''The Fortress'')— consists of the immediate staff of the Governor of Puerto Rico, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the Go ...

which consists of the immediate staff to the

as well as multiple levels of support. All other executive offices are ascribed to the Office of the Governor. The Governor, however, delegates the management and overwatch of almost all the executive offices to the Secretariat of Governance and the

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

; being the

Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). OMB's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, but it also examines agency programs, pol ...

and the Planning Board the only executive offices that report directly to the Governor. The executive offices are comprised by: * Environmental Quality Board *

* Planning Board * Secretariat of Governance

Secretaries

Article IV of the

establishes that the Governor shall be assisted by Secretaries whom shall collectively constitute the Governor's advisory council and be designated as the '' Council of Secretaries''. These Secretaries and other officers which hold positions at the same bureaucratic level compose the Cabinet. On rare occasions, the Cabinet is called upon to ratify a gubernatorial decision, such as the appointment of a member of the board of the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank, in lieu of the Senate's

advice and consent Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts. It describes either of two situations: where a weak executive branch of a government enacts something previ ...

. All Cabinet members are nominated by the

and then presented to the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

for

by a simple majorityexcept for the Secretary of State who requires the advice and consent of both the Senate and the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

. If the Cabinet members are confirmed they are sworn in and begin their duties immediately afterwards. However, Cabinet members appointed during a legislative recess may begin serving immediately under a recess appointment until the end of the following regular session of the Legislative Assembly, or rejected by the Senate, whichever occurs first, should they not be confirmed. All members leading executive departments receive the title of ''Secretary''. The Council of Secretaries is the group composed by the

heads A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals m ...

of the

executive departments of the government of Puerto Rico The executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico is responsible for executing the laws of Puerto Rico, as well as causing them to be executed. Article IV of the Constitution of Puerto Rico vests the executive power on the Governor—w ...

. The Council is charged with leading the different sectors of

public administration Public Administration (a form of governance) or Public Policy and Administration (an academic discipline) is the implementation of public policy, administration of government establishment ( public governance), management of non-profit es ...

within the government and is comprised by: *

Secretary of Agriculture The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments. The department includes several organi ...

* Secretary of Consumer Affairs * Secretary of Corrections and Rehabilitation * Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce *

Secretary of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

* Secretary of Family Affairs *

Secretary of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate Minister of Mental Health, ministers ...

* Secretary of Housing * Secretary of Justice * Secretary of Labor and Human Resources * Secretary of Natural and Environmental Resources * Secretary of Public Safety * Secretary of Sports and Recreation * Secretary of State * Secretary of Transportation and Public Works * Secretary of Treasury

Departments

There are currently fifteen

executive department The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems ba ...

s; all of them equivalent to that of ministries in

parliamentary system A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of th ...

s. Each executive department is responsible of a specific sector of

and provides a related

public service A public service is any service intended to address specific needs pertaining to the aggregate members of a community. Public services are available to people within a government jurisdiction as provided directly through public sector agencies ...

to the citizens of

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

. All departments are capable of generating revenue through the issuance of

fines Fines may refer to: * Fines, Andalusia, Spanish municipality * Fine (penalty) * Fine, a dated term for a premium on a lease of land, a large sum the tenant pays to commute (lessen) the rent throughout the term *Fines, ore or other products with a s ...

, or through the collection of license fees and

taxes A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, o ...

. These revenues are then allocated to the government's primary operating fund: the

Puerto Rico General Fund The Budget of the Government of Puerto Rico ( es, Presupuesto del Gobierno de Puerto Rico) is the proposal by the Governor of Puerto Rico to the Legislative Assembly which recommends funding levels for the next fiscal year, beginning on July 1 ...

. The current departments are: *

Department of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...

* Department of Consumer Affairs * Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation * Department of Economic Development and Commerce * Department of Education * Department of Family Affairs * Department of Health * Department of Housing *

Department of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

* Department of Labor and Human Resources * Department of Natural and Environmental Resources * Department of Public Safety * Department of Sports and Recreation *

Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other na ...

* Department of Transportation and Public Works * Department of Treasury

Cabinet-level officers

The Cabinet-level officers of the executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico are the

of the executive agencies that report directly to the

Governor of Puerto Rico The governor of Puerto Rico ( es, gobernador de Puerto Rico) is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and commander-in-chief of the Puerto Rico National Guard. The governor has a duty to enforce local laws, to co ...

or to the

who also happen to not be Secretaries of an

nor members of an executive officeexcept for the Directors of the

and the Planning Board who are considered Cabinet-level officers. All the Cabinet-level officers are at the same bureaucratic level as of the Secretaries and together with the Council of Secretaries compose the

. *

* Commissioner of Safety and Public Protection *

Director of the Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). OMB's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, but it also examines agency programs, poli ...

* Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration *

Inspector General of Puerto Rico The Inspector General of Puerto Rico is the inspector general of the government of Puerto Rico and leads the Office of the Inspector General of the Government of Puerto Rico Creation This office was created under law No. 15 of February 28 ...

* President of the Planning Board * President of the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank

Fiscal agent and financing

The fiscal agent and financing agencies are a group of government-owned corporations of Puerto Rico that manage all aspects of

financing Funding is the act of providing resources to finance a need, program, or project. While this is usually in the form of money, it can also take the form of effort or time from an organization or company. Generally, this word is used when a firm use ...

for the executive branch. The ''Puerto Rico Government Development Bank Act'' establishes that the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank (GDB) serves as the fiscal agent of the

government of Puerto Rico The government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government with separation of powers, subject to the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States. Regardless of its special status, the GDB and all other financing agencies report to the Secretariat of Governance and the

. These agencies are comprised by: * Authority for the Financing of Housing * Authority for the Financing of Industrial, Touristic, Educative, Medical, and Environmental Control Facilities (AFICA) *

Authority for the Financing of the Infrastructure of Puerto Rico The Authority for the Financing of the Infrastructure of Puerto Rico es, Autoridad para el Financiamiento de la Infraestructura de Puerto Rico (AFI)— is a government-owned corporation of Puerto Rico that grants administrative and financi ...

* Economic Development Bank * Government Development Bank * Municipal Financing Agency * Public Financing Corporation * Public-Private Partnerships Authority * Urgent Interest Fund Corporation (COFINA)

Government-owned corporations

The

government-owned corporation A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the governmen ...

s of Puerto Rico are autonomous, independent, and self-sufficient legal entities owned entirely or in large by the executive branch. These corporations engage in commercial activities with their revenues ultimately being allocated towards the government's treasury: the

Puerto Rico Consolidated Fund The Budget of the Government of Puerto Rico ( es, Presupuesto del Gobierno de Puerto Rico) is the proposal by the Governor of Puerto Rico to the Legislative Assembly which recommends funding levels for the next fiscal year, beginning on July 1 an ...

. As of December 2012, the executive branch owned 50 government-owned corporations as follows: * Automobile Accident Compensation Administration * Agricultural Insurance Corporation * Aqueducts and Sewers Authority * Authority for the Financing of Housing * Authority for the Financing of Industrial, Touristic, Educative, Medical, and Environmental Control Facilities (AFICA) *

* Caño Martín Peña ENLACE Project Corporation *

Cardiovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Corporation The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, t ...

* Commission on Traffic Safety *

Comprehensive Cancer Center NCI-designated Cancer Centers are a group of 71 cancer research institutions in the United States supported by the National Cancer Institute. Program Three designations are recognized: Comprehensive Cancer Centers, Clinical Cancer Centers, and B ...

* Conservatory of Music Corporation * Convention Center District Authority * Corporation for the Development of Arts, Sciences, and Cinematographic Industry * Corporation for Industries for the Blind, Mentally Retarded People, and Other Handicapped People * Credit Unions Supervision and Insurance Corporation * Economic Development Bank * Electric Power Authority * Government Development Bank * Health Insurance Administration * Highways and Transportation Authority * Industrial Development Company * Integral Development for the Cantera Peninsula Company *

Institute of Puerto Rican Culture The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture ( es, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña), or ICP, for short, is an institution of the Government of Puerto Rico responsible for the establishment of the cultural policies required in order to study, preser ...

* Lands Administration * Lands Authority * Maritime Shipping Authority * Medical Services Administration * Metropolitan Bus Authority * Municipal Financing Agency * Musical Arts Corporation * Musical Scenic Arts Corporation * National Guard Institutional Trust * National Parks Company * Performing Arts Center Corporation * Ports Authority * Port of the Americas Administration * Public Broadcasting Corporation * Public Buildings Authority * Sales Tax Financing Corporation * School of Plastic Arts * Solid Waste Management Authority * State Insurance Fund Corporation * Symphony Orchestra Corporation * Trade and Export Company * Tourism Company * Training and Work Enterprises Corporation *

University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico ( es, Universidad de Puerto Rico, UPR) is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 58,000 students and ...

Other agencies

There are other agencies that belong to the executive branch that aren't either executive offices, executive departments, subagencies, nor government-owned corporations. These agencies tend to be regulatory bodies or agencies that provide some sort of public service whose goal is not commercial profit. Regardless of their purpose, these agencies report to the Secretariat of Governance and the

, and some of them are even presided by a cabinet-level officer. This group of agencies is comprised by: * Administration of the Retirement Systems of Employees of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Judicature * Appeals Commission on Public Service * Commission on Cooperative Development * Commission on Investigation, Prosecution, and Appeal * Commission on Public Service * Commission on Safety and Public Protection * Education Council * Federal Affairs Administration *

General Services Administration The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. GSA supplies products and communications for U.S. gover ...

Industrial Commission {{Distinguish, Industrial Relations Commission The Industrial Commission was a United States government body in existence from 1898 to 1902. It was appointed by President William McKinley to investigate railroad pricing policy, industrial concentr ...

* Institute of Statistics * Labour Relations Board *

Office of Government Ethics The United States Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is an independent agency within the executive branch of the U.S. Federal Government which is responsible for directing executive branch policies relating to the prevention of conflicts of interes ...

* Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions * Office of the Commissioner of Municipal Affairs * Office of the Electoral Comptroller * Office of the Special Independent Prosecutor's Panel * Office of the Solicitor General * Office of Training and Advice in Labour and Human Resource Management * Review Board of Permits and Land Use * State Agency for Emergency and Disaster Management * State Elections Commission * Teachers Retirement System * Telecommunications Regulatory Board

Notes

References

{{Governments of Puerto Rico Government of Puerto Rico