Health insurance choice and $500 COVID relief bills passed along with 6 other measures

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Guam lawmakers went to the voting file this afternoon, passing a number of spending measures.

Guam lawmakers went to the voting file this afternoon passing a number of spending measures including the health insurance choice bill for GovGuam employees and another locally funded pandemic relief measure.

Sen. Pedo Terlaje sponsored the health insurance choice bill which passed by a vote of 8 to 6.

Bill 366 would revise the current law introduced by former speaker Benjamin Cruz which sought to rein in runaway health insurance costs for GovGuam by limiting the health plan to the single most economical and beneficial plan.

Sen. Terlaje’s revised proposal would still require the Governor to name the most economical and beneficial health plan, but two providers would still be available for GovGuam employees to choose from. If any employee selected the higher-priced plan option, they would have to cover the higher premium cost themselves, not the taxpayer.

Another spending measure of note is Sen. Amanda Shelton’s Bill 367-35. It will provide $500 in COVID relief stimulus to families with young adult dependents and individuals with disabilities. It was passed unanimously.

The public hearing requirement was waived on both spending measures and no fiscal note was provided for either measure.

Six other bills were also approved and are available for review on our website at pncguam.com.

The Voting File

  1. Bill No. 241-35 (COR) As amended by the Committee on Heritage and the Arts, Parks, Guam Products, Hagåtña-Revitalization, Self-Determination, and Regional Affairs; and further amended on the Floor. – Kelly Marsh (Taitano), PhD, Jose “Pedo” Terlaje, Tina Rose Muña Barnes, Telena Cruz Nelson, Clynton E. Ridgell — AN ACT TO ADD A NEW § 72110 TO CHAPTER 72, TITLE 10, GUAM CODE ANNOTATED, RELATIVE TO CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING A RIP CURRENT AND HIKING SAFETY AWARENESS PROGRAM AND OUTREACH PLAN. *PASSED: 14 yeas and 1 nay – Senator James C. Moylan

  2. Bill No. 214-35 (LS) As substituted and amended on the Floor. – Mary Camacho Torres, Telena Cruz Nelson, Tina Rose Muña Barnes, Régine Biscoe Lee — AN ACT TO ADD A NEW ARTICLE 5 TO CHAPTER 48 OF TITLE 21, GUAM CODE ANNOTATED, RELATIVE TO PROVIDING LEASE PROTECTIONS FOR TENANTS WHO ARE VICTIMS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE, CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT, OR STALKING; AND TO CITE THIS ACT AS THE “GUAM
    SAFE HOUSING ACT OF 2020.” *PASSED: 15 yeas 

  3. Bill No. 323-35 (COR) As amended on the Floor. – Joe S. San Agustin, Tina Rose Muña Barnes, Régine Biscoe Lee, Telena Cruz Nelson, Amanda L. Shelton, Clynton E. Ridgell, Kelly Marsh (Taitano), Ph.D., Louise Borja
    Muña, Jose ‘Pedo’ Terlaje, William M. Castro, Mary Camacho Torres, Telo T. Taitague — AN ACT TO ADD A NEW § 26203.3 TO ARTICLE 2 OF CHAPTER 26, TITLE 11, GUAM CODE ANNOTATED, RELATIVE TO PROVIDING LIMITED EXEMPTIONS TO SMALL BUSINESSES UNDER THE DAVE SANTOS
    SMALL BUSINESS ENHANCEMENT ACT TO MITIGATE IMPACTS RESULTING FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. *PASSED: 15 yeas 

  4. Bill No. 366-35 (LS) As substituted; and amended on the Floor. – Jose “Pedo” Terlaje, Tina Rose Muña Barnes — AN ACT TO AMEND §§ 4301(a) AND 4302(c)(9) OF ARTICLE 3, CHAPTER 4, TITLE 4, GUAM CODE ANNOTATED, RELATIVE TO ALLOWING CHOICE FOR SUBSCRIBERS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE GOVERNMENT OF GUAM HEALTH INSURANCE CONTRACT. *PASSED: 8 yeas, 6 nays – Senators Régine Biscoe Lee, Kelly Marsh (Taitano), PhD, Sabina Flores Perez, Therese M. Terlaje, Mary Camacho Torres, Telena Cruz Nelson; and 1 excused – Senator James C. Moylan  

  5. Bill No. 252-35 (COR) As amended on the Floor. – Amanda L. Shelton, Joe S. San Agustin, William M. Castro, Telena Cruz Nelson, Régine Biscoe Lee, Therese M. Terlaje, Louise B. Muña, Tina Rose Muña Barnes — AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE UP TO THE SUM OF FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY-EIGHT THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN DOLLARS AND SEVENTY- SEVEN CENTS ($468,318.77) FROM THE EARNINGS OF THE UOG HIGHER EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FUND, AS OF FISCAL YEAR 2019, TO THE UNIVERSITY
    OF GUAM FOR THE PURPOSES PURSUANT TO § 221305 OF ARTICLE 13, CHAPTER 22, TITLE 5, GUAM CODE ANNOTATED. *PASSED: 15 yeas 

  6. Bill No. 251-35 (COR) As amended on the Floor. – Amanda L. Shelton, Joe S. San Agustin, Tina Rose Muña Barnes, Telena Cruz Nelson, Therese M. Terlaje, Régine Biscoe Lee, Louise B. Muña, William M. Castro — AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE UP TO THE SUM OF TWO HUNDRED FIFTY-FOUR THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FORTY DOLLARS AND NINETY-EIGHT CENTS ($254,640.98) FROM THE GCC ENDOWMENT FUND, AS OF FISCAL YEAR 2019, TO THE GUAM COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR THE PURPOSES ENUMERATED IN § 221306 OF ARTICLE 13, CHAPTER 22, TITLE 5, GUAM CODE ANNOTATED, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020. *PASSED: 15 yeas 

  7. Bill No. 367-35 (LS) As amended in the Committee of the Whole. – Amanda L. Shelton, Tina Rose Muña Barnes, Telena Cruz Nelson, Régine Biscoe Lee, Jose “Pedo” Terlaje, Kelly Marsh (Taitano), PhD, Sabina Flores Perez, Joe S. San Agustin, William M. Castro — AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE ALLOCATION OF PAYMENTS TO ELIGIBLE GUAM RESIDENTS DURING THE STATE OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, TO BE KNOWN AS
    THE AYUDA I MANGÅFA HELP FOR FAMILIES PROGRAM. *PASSED: 15 yeas 

  8. Bill No. 162-35 (COR) As substituted by the Committee on Health, Tourism, Historic Preservation, Land, and Justice; and amended on the Floor. – Mary Camacho Torres, Therese M. Terlaje, Telena Cruz Nelson, Régine Biscoe Lee, Tina Rose Muña Barnes, William M. Castro, Kelly Marsh (Taitano), PhD, James C. Moylan, Louise B. Muña, Sabina Flores Perez, Clynton E. Ridgell, Joe S. San Agustin, Amanda L. Shelton, Telo T. Taitague, Jose “Pedo” Terlaje — AN ACT TO ADD A NEW SUBSECTION (b)(5) TO § 4303 AND A NEW SUBSECTION (e) TO § 4305, AND TO AMEND § 4308, ALL OF ARTICLE 3, CHAPTER 4, TITLE 19, GUAM CODE ANNOTATED, RELATIVE TO TERMINATING THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP OF A PARENT WHO IS FOUND BY CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE TO HAVE COMMITTED THE OFFENSE OF CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT AGAINST THE OTHER PARENT RESULTING IN THE CONCEPTION OF THE CHILD. *PASSED: 15 yeas 

Nominations Confirmed

  1. The nomination of Robert C. Taitano to serve as a Member of the Civil Service Commission. *Confirmed – 6.10.20
  2. The nomination of Dana A. Gutierrez to serve as a Judge of the Superior Court of Guam. *Confirmed – 6.10.20
  3.  The nomination of UM Dreama Asor to serve as a Member of the Department of Parks & Recreation Commission. *Confirmed – 6.10.20
  4.  The nomination of Rolando C. Zepeda to serve as a Member (Visual Arts) of the Guam Council on the Arts & Humanities Agency. *Confirmed – 6.10.20
  5. The nomination of Anisia Delia to serve as a Member of the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority, Board of Commissioners. *Confirmed – 6.10.20
  6. The nomination of Dr. Anita B. Enriquez to serve as a Member of the Guam Land Use Commission. *Confirmed – 6.10.20
  7. The nomination of Louisa M. Wessling to serve as a Member of the Guam Ancestral Lands Commission. *Confirmed – 6.10.20

Set Aside

  1. Bill No. 71-35 (LS) – James C. Moylan AN ACT TO AMEND §5101, §5105, §5107, §5109, §5112(a)(3), AND §5114, AND TO ADD §5119, ALL TO
    CHAPTER 5 OF TITLE 16, GUAM CODE ANNOTATED, RELATIVE TO THE SIZE, WEIGHT, AND LOAD LIMITATIONS, AND RESTRICTIONS OF CERTAIN VEHICLES. *Bill set aside – 6.3.20

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