Guam – “The bills I signed help our economy, our environment, our families, our manamko’, and fill any potential gaps during negotiations for our Government’s health insurance contracts,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero.
The Governor signed the following 6 bills into law.
- Bill 1-35 (Sen. Regine Biscoe-Lee): Expands the benefits of the Dave Santos Act for small businesses generating a revenue of $250,000 or less annually. Instead of a 5 percent Business Privilege Tax (BPT), qualified small businesses pay 3 percent in BPT. The bill is now Public Law 35-13.
- Bill 3-35 (Sen. Louise Muña): Adds Guam War Claims awards to the list of exemptions from executions or attachments that Guam law provides for creditor claims. The bill is now Public Law 35-12.
- Bill 12-35 (Sen. Kelly Marsh Taitano): Establishes consistent and uniform gender references of the Governor of Guam and Lieutenant Governor of Guam. The bill is now Public Law 35-14.
- Bill 25-35 (Sen. Telo Taitague): Requires all diesel fuel imported to Guam to meet USEPA standards for ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel. The bill is now Public Law 35-15.
- Bill 39-35 (Sen. Telo Taitague): Expands sick and annual leave benefits to Government of Guam employees beyond the 210 working days currently authorized through the leave sharing program for employees with a catastrophic/chronic illness. The bill is now Public Law 35-11.
- Bill 55-35 (Sen. Telo Taitague): Provides an alternate representative for the Judicial and
Legislative branches on the Health Insurance Negotiating Team should either branch decide to enter into a health insurance contract separate from the Executive Branch. The bill is now Public Law 35-16.
The Governor also vetoed the following bill:
- Bill 7-35 (Sen. Telo Taitague): Establishes a $1,000 personal fine assessed on each of the directors of member-agencies of the Application Review Committee if any of the members fail to meet the deadlines to submit reports and statements on land use applications through the Department of Land Management.
- Bill 20-35 (Sen. Telo Taitague): Reduces the appropriation to fund the Guam Retirement
Security Plan from $500,000 to $300,000. The available $200,000 as a result would be
appropriated to the Guam Police Department for security cameras and related equipment. - Along with the veto of Bill 20, Governor Leon Guerrero transmitted a measure to fulfill the intent of the bill. The Governor’s measure appropriates $200,000 from the General Fund to the Guam Police Department for security cameras and other equipment.
In the passage of Bill 1-35, the governor applauded Biscoe-Lee, for “championing tax relief for our small businesses,” adding, “I hope that by signing Bill 1 into law, it inspires more entrepreneurs to open small businesses of their own.”
Leon Guerrero also thanked Taitague for her trio of bills and her following up with her commitment to a cleaner environment as well as spotlighting healthcare coverage and allowing employees to focus on the health of their loved ones.
With the passage of Marsh-Taitano’s bill that the governor said she was humbled to sign, “with this law, we tell every young girl, that Guam’s highest positions in government are not reserved only for their brothers – but that they too, can serve Guam as its governor and Lt. Governor.”
With the Speaker’s bill, the governor said, “Although our World War II survivors have been waiting decades for compensation for the atrocities they faced during the Japanese occupation, Senator Muna’s bill will give our manamko’ some peace of mind that the awards they are expected to receive will not be held against them.”
