37th Guam Legislature Emergency Session - October 24, 2024
Pursuant to Section 1.02(b)(1)(ii) of the Standing Rules, I am certifying that an emergency condition exists which warrants an emergency session of I Liheslaturan Guåhan. The urgency surrounds the Guam Memorial Hospital’s (GMH) ability to provide critical services amid its dire financial situation, the Guam Department of Education’s (GDOE) critical need for funding which they testified is necessary to maintain safe and sanitary conditions for students, faculty and staff, the Guam Cancer Trust Fund (GCTF) underfunding for FY2025 which would result in significant gaps in essential cancer services compared to FY24, and other critical needs following the passage of P.L. 125-37, the FY25 Budget Law.
As you are aware, the FY25 budget did not sufficiently account for the Guam Memorial Hospital’s financial needs, nor did it fully address the financial obligations to the Guam Cancer Trust Fund pursuant to §26603 of Chapter 26, Title 11 GCA, or allocate necessary funding for GDOE maintenance and other critical priorities. A motion was made for the Committee on Appropriations to introduce a supplemental budget bill to address all pending motions related to FY24 or FY25 excess revenues. However, not all pending motions such as the one for GMH were included in the Supplemental Budget Bill 355-37.
During the public hearing on the Supplemental Budget Bill 355-37, which took place on October 3rd, 2024, GMH Administrator Lillian Posadas testified and pleaded to include additional funding for the hospital in the legislature’s Supplemental Budget bill. The Governor also submitted written testimony during this public hearing requesting for the Supplemental Budget Bill 355-37 to be amended to include “an additional $20 Million dollars to continue to provide the essential medical services that our residents deserve and depend upon as the only public hospital on Guam”. On October 7, 2024, I held an Oversight Hearing on the Guam Memorial Hospital where GMH again reiterated that they require an immediate supplemental appropriation to sustain its operations for Fiscal Year 2025 and pay outstanding vendor payments.
Testimony on Supplemental Budget Bill 355-37 also included urgent pleas for funding for the Guam Department of Education and the Guam Cancer Trust Fund.
Although Supplemental Budget Bill 355-37 was reported out of committee after the Committee on Rules meeting held on October 10, 2024, the bill has undergone the legislative process, including a public hearing on October 3rd, and the Committee Report for the bill was reported out on October 11, 2024, and is posted on the Guam Legislature website.
On October 17, 2024, I received a letter from Senator Frank Blas Jr requesting for an emergency session for the purpose of deciding on Bill 362-37 (COR) AN ACT TO ADD A NEW SUBSECTION 5215.1 TO SUB ARTICLE B (METHODS OF SOURCE SELECTION) OF ARTICLE A, CHAPTER 5, TITLE 5, GUAM CODE ANNOTATED RELATIVE TO SPECIAL CRISIS PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY FOR THE GUAM FIRE DEPARTMENT TO MEET THE CRITERIA SET BY THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION STANDARD 1710 AND TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE SUFFICIENT STOCKED AND EQUIPPED AMBULANCES FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSES.”
Bill 362-37 seeks to address the critical shortage of operational ambulances for the Guam Fire Department (GFD) and aims to provide special crisis procurement authority to ensure that GFD can meet National Fire Protection Association standards by maintaining a minimum of eight (8) ambulances available for emergency medical responses. With the life-threatening implications of GFD’s limited capacity, Bill 362-37 warrants immediate deliberation to safeguard the health and safety of our island community.
Given the urgent nature of these critical concerns, I Liheslaturan Guåhan will convene for an Emergency Session on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. in the Guam Congress Building to address Supplemental Budget Bill 355-37 and Bill 362-37, consistent with the emergency call.
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