DRD requests $71.4 million for FY2026-27; seeks $2M reprogramming for seniors and adapted sports
May 06, 2026 | House of Representatives, House, Committees, Legislative, Puerto Rico, International
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The Department of Recreation and Sports asked the House Finance Committee for $71.4 million to fund operations, payroll and capital matches in fiscal year 2026-27, Secretary Héctor Vázquez Muñiz told legislators at an afternoon hearing. "Estamos en austeridad involuntaria y es la realidad," the secretary said, explaining the request seeks to preserve essential services and program continuity.
The requested total of $71.4 million compares with a current-year budget of about $59.7 million, a difference the secretary and staff attributed primarily to increased operational needs and an effort to restore certain program lines. DRD asked $16.8 million for payroll for regular employees, about $577,000 more than the recommended figure, and $31.8 million for operational expenses across funds 111 and 141.
The agency is also seeking roughly $11 million to pair with federal Land and Water grants, a 50/50 match DRD says has last year benefited seven to nine municipalities for outdoor recreation projects. Secretary Vázquez Muñiz described an example in Aguadilla (a proposed trail and lookout called "El Vigía") and cited the Marcelino Blondet sports complex in Guayama as a recent Land and Water project with municipal co-investment.
DRD proposed reprogramming $2 million from existing utility allocations (water and electricity) rather than requesting additional appropriations. The secretary said about $400,000 of the reprogrammed funds would be assigned to older-adult programming (the "Muévete conmigo" series) and other portions to adapted-sport centers and operational needs. "Esto no sería fondos adicionales, sino la redistribución o reprogramación de 2,000,000 de dólares," he said.
Agency staff told lawmakers the department currently manages an inventory and warehouse for equipment and has begun reallocating some internal credits; DRD asked the committee to adjust utility lines in the budget to reflect actual spending so credits can be used for program costs and to increase stipends for contract technicians and monitors.
Alexandra Hernández, DRD's director of budget, told the committee the department projects about 105 vacancies in the next budget cycle and that the request includes roughly 15 additional positions beyond the numbers provided by the Office of Management and Budget. Committee members pressed for a breakdown of vacancies and asked for more detailed project lists for Land and Water proposals; DRD agreed to provide municipal project details within five business days.
The agency also described upgrades to its RD360 digital platform to simplify licensing, remote registration and records management; staff reported prior vendor inquiries and an internal IT lead who developed the baseline application.
Secretary Vázquez Muñiz summarized the DRD's event calendar and programming priorities, including the rebranded Summer Grand Prix (Juegos de Puerto Rico) scheduled June 2-7 in Fajardo and Ceiba, with more than 3,000 youth participants across 20--21 sports. He said the department is emphasizing internally run tournaments and regional programming because external sponsorship models used in past years are no longer reliable in the current fiscal climate.
On adapted sports, the secretary referenced a recent Senate law addressing neurodivergent athletes and noted partnerships with nonprofits such as 5 Sentidos and Olas del Cielo. DRD said it currently operates 38 adapted-training centers serving about 1,599 children and proposed dedicating roughly $355,000 of the $2 million reprogramming to those centers.
No formal votes or motions were recorded in the transcript. DRD and committee staff discussed drafting an amendment to Law 5 (2022), which provides $13 million to multiple sport entities but did not allocate a corresponding administrative fee to DRD; legal staff will submit language for committee consideration and coordinate with committee leadership and the Fiscal Oversight Board.
The committee closed the session at about 2:56 p.m.; members asked DRD to deliver requested project and vacancy details to the committee record.
The requested total of $71.4 million compares with a current-year budget of about $59.7 million, a difference the secretary and staff attributed primarily to increased operational needs and an effort to restore certain program lines. DRD asked $16.8 million for payroll for regular employees, about $577,000 more than the recommended figure, and $31.8 million for operational expenses across funds 111 and 141.
The agency is also seeking roughly $11 million to pair with federal Land and Water grants, a 50/50 match DRD says has last year benefited seven to nine municipalities for outdoor recreation projects. Secretary Vázquez Muñiz described an example in Aguadilla (a proposed trail and lookout called "El Vigía") and cited the Marcelino Blondet sports complex in Guayama as a recent Land and Water project with municipal co-investment.
DRD proposed reprogramming $2 million from existing utility allocations (water and electricity) rather than requesting additional appropriations. The secretary said about $400,000 of the reprogrammed funds would be assigned to older-adult programming (the "Muévete conmigo" series) and other portions to adapted-sport centers and operational needs. "Esto no sería fondos adicionales, sino la redistribución o reprogramación de 2,000,000 de dólares," he said.
Agency staff told lawmakers the department currently manages an inventory and warehouse for equipment and has begun reallocating some internal credits; DRD asked the committee to adjust utility lines in the budget to reflect actual spending so credits can be used for program costs and to increase stipends for contract technicians and monitors.
Alexandra Hernández, DRD's director of budget, told the committee the department projects about 105 vacancies in the next budget cycle and that the request includes roughly 15 additional positions beyond the numbers provided by the Office of Management and Budget. Committee members pressed for a breakdown of vacancies and asked for more detailed project lists for Land and Water proposals; DRD agreed to provide municipal project details within five business days.
The agency also described upgrades to its RD360 digital platform to simplify licensing, remote registration and records management; staff reported prior vendor inquiries and an internal IT lead who developed the baseline application.
Secretary Vázquez Muñiz summarized the DRD's event calendar and programming priorities, including the rebranded Summer Grand Prix (Juegos de Puerto Rico) scheduled June 2-7 in Fajardo and Ceiba, with more than 3,000 youth participants across 20--21 sports. He said the department is emphasizing internally run tournaments and regional programming because external sponsorship models used in past years are no longer reliable in the current fiscal climate.
On adapted sports, the secretary referenced a recent Senate law addressing neurodivergent athletes and noted partnerships with nonprofits such as 5 Sentidos and Olas del Cielo. DRD said it currently operates 38 adapted-training centers serving about 1,599 children and proposed dedicating roughly $355,000 of the $2 million reprogramming to those centers.
No formal votes or motions were recorded in the transcript. DRD and committee staff discussed drafting an amendment to Law 5 (2022), which provides $13 million to multiple sport entities but did not allocate a corresponding administrative fee to DRD; legal staff will submit language for committee consideration and coordinate with committee leadership and the Fiscal Oversight Board.
The committee closed the session at about 2:56 p.m.; members asked DRD to deliver requested project and vacancy details to the committee record.
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