956

(a) All resident or nonresident Puerto Rican writers and foreign writers permanently domiciled in Puerto Rico may opt for the awards established by §§ 952—959 of this title.(b) The Executive Committee shall carefully study all the works in the Spanish language published for the first time during each calendar year and shall determine which one or which ones in its judgment deserve the award and shall publish its final decision on or before the 30th of June of the following year. When judging the awards they shall give preference, among equally meritorious works, to those in which there is a distinctive Puerto Rican quality.(c) If the Executive Committee understands that none of the works is deserving of the total award or an award for a lesser sum, it may grant the awards it deems are within reason or declare the contest cancelled and, in that case, the amount of the awards that were not awarded shall be covered into a reserve fund to be adjudicated by the Institute in any other subsequent year in which works are submitted that are worthy of the awards, or to be invested in the publication of a book of extraordinary merit, or for any other cultural purpose of a similar nature.

bsequent year in which works are submitted that are worthy of the awards, or to be invested in the publication of a book of extraordinary merit, or for any other cultural purpose of a similar nature. History —May 6, 1938, No. 135, p. 276, § 6; Apr. 23, 1948, No. 39, p. 78, § 1; July 20, 1988, No. 113, p. 470, § 3.