The Court of Appeals of Puerto Rico issued a significant ruling on June 5, 2026, regarding the access to public information and associated costs. The case, Transporte Sonnell, LLC v. Autoridad De Carreteras Y Transportación De Puerto Rico (Docket TA2026CE00529), centers on whether the Autoridad de Carreteras y Transportación (ACT) could charge fees for reproducing documents requested under the Law 141-2019. This decision impacts how public entities handle information requests and the costs associated with them.

In this case, Transporte Sonnell, LLC, a transportation company, filed a request for public information from ACT, claiming that the agency had not provided all the requested documents. The dispute arose after ACT sought to charge Sonnell for the reproduction of documents, claiming the costs were reasonable due to the volume of information requested. Sonnell argued that access to public information should be free, as mandated by the law.

The case began on December 16, 2025, when Sonnell filed a special judicial review under Law 141-2019, which aims to facilitate public access to information. Sonnell claimed that ACT had failed to fulfill its obligation to provide the requested information. In response, ACT contended that it had complied with the law and that Sonnell's request was overly broad and lacked specificity.

After a series of legal exchanges, the lower court ruled on March 12, 2026, that ACT could not charge for the reproduction of documents, ordering that the requested documents be provided free of charge. ACT later filed a reconsideration request, arguing that the law allowed for reasonable fees for document reproduction, especially given the volume of documents involved.

The Court of Appeals ultimately ruled in favor of ACT, stating, "The ACT cannot use the old Regulation 09-007 to set reproduction costs, as there is no approved regulation or administrative order in line with the clear mandate of Article 8 of Law 141-2019." The ruling emphasized that while access to public information is generally free, there are circumstances under which reasonable charges for reproduction can be applied.

The judges involved in the ruling included Judge Santiago Calderón, who authored the opinion, along with Judge Rodríguez Casillas and Judge Barresi Ramos. The court's decision overturned the lower court's order, allowing ACT to charge for the reproduction of documents while ensuring that the fees are reasonable and justifiable.

This ruling has significant implications for future requests for public information in Puerto Rico. It clarifies that while access to information should be facilitated, public entities can impose reasonable fees for the reproduction of documents, which is especially relevant for large volumes of information. The decision reinforces the balance between transparency and the need for public agencies to manage resources effectively.

Going forward, this ruling sets a precedent for how public information requests will be handled in Puerto Rico. It establishes that agencies must have a clear regulatory framework to impose fees and that these fees must be reasonable and directly related to the costs incurred in reproducing documents. This decision may lead to a reevaluation of existing regulations and practices regarding public information access.

As for next steps, it is unclear whether the case will be appealed further. However, the ruling does provide a clearer understanding of the legal landscape surrounding public information access and the costs associated with it. There are no related cases mentioned in the court opinion.