(S. B. 1295) (No. 122) (Approved August 8, 2002) AN ACT To amend the Title; add a new Section 1; amend and renumber Section 1 as Section 2; and renumber Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 as Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively, of Act No. 223 of August 29, 2000, which creates the Soap Operas, Miniseries or Specials Production Program in the Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation, in order to name it the "Lucy Boscana Soap Operas, Miniseries and Specials Fund Act". STATEMENT OF MOTIVES The life of Lucy Boscana is the most passionate expression of her greatest vocation, the theater. Her unique personality as a performing actress, refined, expressive and dramatic, is forever imbued in the Puerto Rican theatrical history. Her love and devotion to the arts, the theater and the acting profession, reflects the beauty that blossomed throughout her life. Thus, her fellow actors and all of Puerto Rico, have called her the "First Lady of Puerto Rican Theater". Beloved daughter of the city of Mayagüez, she showed her passion for the arts from an early age. She excelled as a pianist, composer and especially as an actress, in school performances. Lucy studied languages and theater at Oberlin College in Ohio, in the United States, from where she graduated with honors. When she returned to her homeland, she devoted herself to acting, where she achieved resounding triumphs in countless radio and television soap operas that were transmitted to Latin America, Central
2 America, the United States and many European countries. Her interpretations of the most important female roles in the works of our most renowned playwrights, among these, René Marqués and Francisco Arriví, are memorable. Her interpretation of the dramatic role of Doña Gabriela in the drama "La Carreta" by René Marqués, was widely acclaimed in Puerto Rico and Off Broadway in New York. Lucy's theatrical genius led her to perform in theaters Buenos Aires, Argentina, the United States, and in other countries of Latin America. She also performed important roles in the cinematography of Puerto Rico and abroad. Her love of the theater, her fellow actors and her people, led her to fight for the creation of theatrical organizations that would offer workshops for our actors and, at the same time, enable them to take this great art to all the corners of the country. This great love was the driving force that brought her before the Legislature to lobby for the creation of a theatrical program in the Puerto Rico Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Through the program, she pursued the promotion of theatrical performances that would serve as workshops for theater actors and promote the love for the theater throughout the Island. Thus, the Soap Opera, Miniseries or Specials Production Program in the Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation was born, which originally was nourished by special appropriations that were discretionally granted through Joint Resolutions from the years 1996 to 1999, and that were, subsequently permanently established by Act 223 of August 29, 2000. In recognition of the great contributions made by Lucy Boscana to Puerto Rican culture, and especially to the theatrical arts, as well as to her untiring struggle for the approval of this Act, this Legislature hereby denominates the drama program established therein as the "Lucy Boscana
3 Soap Operas, Miniseries and Specials Fund" of the Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF PUERTO RICO: Section 1.- The title of Act No. 223 of August 29, 2000, is hereby amended to read as follows: "To create the "Lucy Boscana Soap Operas, Miniseries and Specials Fund" in the Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation; to establish a special, recurrent appropriation of one million (1,000,000) dollars, annually, from unencumbered funds in the Commonwealth Treasury, to be appropriated to the Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation in order to defray the expenses related to the production and programming of soap operas and miniseries for television containing Puerto Rican themes; establish the obligations of said Corporation for the continuity and perpetuity of the program; require annual reports of the work carried out; and to authorize the matching of the appropriated funds." Section 2.- A new Section 1 is hereby added to Act No. 223 of August 29, 2000, to read as follows: "Section 1.- This Act shall be known as the "Lucy Boscana Soap Operas, Miniseries and Specials Fund of the Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation Act". Section 3.- Section 1 is hereby amended and renumbered as Section 2 of Act No. 223 of August 29, 2000, to read as follows: "Section 2.- The "Lucy Boscana Soap Operas, Miniseries and Specials Fund" in the Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation is hereby created, for the sole and exclusive purpose of promoting, planning and coordinating
4 the production of television programs, soap operas, miniseries or specials with the participation of local actors. Section 4.- Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are hereby renumbered as Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively, of Act No. 223 of August 29, 2000. Section 5.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
5 CERTIFICATION I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 122 (S.B. 1295) of the 3 rd Session of the 14 th Legislature of Puerto Rico: AN ACT to amend the Title; add a new Section 1; amend and renumber Section 1 as Section 2; and renumber Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 as Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively, of Act No. 223 of August 29, 2000, which creates the Soap Operas, Miniseries or Specials Production Program in the Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation, in order to name it the "Lucy Boscana Soap Operas, Miniseries and Specials Fund Act", has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today 18 th of October of 2002. Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director