Title 2, Legislative Branch

The Legislature finds that government bureaucracies have a tendency to serve group needs and forget individual needs. In today's system of government, the individual citizen with a problem often does not know where to start nor to whom to seek to solve his problem. Elected repres…

As used in this Chapter: (a) Agency means any department, organization, board, commission, council, institution or other governmental entity of the government of Guam, and any official, officer, employee or member thereof acting or purporting to act by reason of his connection wi…

The Office of the Suruhanu is created. SOURCE: GC § 1427. Added by P.L. 14-99; renumbered by P.L. 15-83.

(a) The Suruhanu shall be a person of recognized judgment, objectivity and integrity who is well equipped to analyze problems of law, administration and public policy. (b) No person while serving as Suruhanu: (1) shall be actively involved in political party activities; (2) shall…

The Legislature shall elect the Suruhanu by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership. SOURCE: GC § 1428. Added by P.L. 14-99; renumbered by P.L. 15-83.

Immediately after declaring the results of any election, the Legislative Secretary shall cause to be prepared Acertificates of appointment.@ The form of such certificate shall be prescribed by the Legislative Secretary and shall contain the essential facts of the appointment. The…

COL120106 (a) The Suruhanu shall serve for a term of six (6) years commencing at 12 o'clock noon on April 1 of the year he takes office. He may be reappointed for additional terms. SOURCE: GC § 1430. Added by P.L. 14-99; renumbered by P.L. 15-83.

(a) Qualified voters of Guam may initiate a petition for the removal of the Suruhanu by presenting a petition to the Election Commission signed by voters equal in number to ten percent (10%) of all votes counted for all candidates for the Governor at the last preceding general el…

The salary of the Suruhanu shall be established by a majority vote of the Legislature at the time of his election to office. During his term of office, the salary of the Suruhanu may be increased only upon the adoption of a resolution or a statute. The salary of the Suruhanu shal…

(a) The Suruhanu shall select, appoint and fix the compensation within the amount available by appropriation of such other officers and employees, and including a Segundo Suruhanu as he may deem necessary to discharge his responsibilities under this Chapter. All officers and empl…

The Suruhanu shall have the following powers: (a) To investigate, on complaint of a person but not an agency or on his own motion, any act of an agency without regard to its finality. (b) To adopt, promulgate, amend and rescind rules and regulations required for the discharge of …

(a) The Suruhanu shall investigate any complaint alleging that an act of an agency is: (1) contrary to or inconsistent with law, regulation or agency practice; (2) based on mistaken facts or irrelevant considerations; (3) inadequately explained when reasons should have been revea…

(a) After the Suruhanu has decided whether or not to investigate a complaint, he shall suitably inform the complainant. (b) The Suruhanu shall, if requested by the complainant, report the status of his investigation to the complainant. (c) After investigation of a complaint, he s…

(a) If the Suruhanu decides to investigate a complaint, he may, if he deems it appropriate, suitably inform the agency involved. (b) Before announcing or reporting a conclusion or recommendation that criticizes or is adverse to an agency, the Suruhanu shall consult with that agen…

(a) If, after investigation, the Suruhanu is of the opinion that an agency should: (1) consider the matter further; (2) modify or cancel an act; (3) alter a regulation, practice or ruling; (4) explain more fully the act in question; (5) rectify an omission; or (6) take any other …

The Suruhanu shall annually report on his activities to the Governor and to the Legislature. SOURCE: GC § 1439. Added by P.L. 14-99; renumbered by P.L. 15-83. COL120106

(a) No proceeding, conclusion, recommendation or report of the Suruhanu or member of his staff shall be reviewable in any court, unless it contravenes the provisions of this Chapter. (b) The Suruhanu and his staff shall have the same immunities from civil and criminal liabilities…

Any person required to provide information under this Chapter shall be paid the same fees and travel allowances and accorded the same privileges and immunities, including right of assistance of counsel, as witnesses whose attendance has been required in the Superior Court. SOURCE…

Any person who willfully obstructs or hinders the proper and lawful exercise of the Suruhanu's powers or willfully misleads or attempts to mislead the Suruhanu in his inquiries, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.0…

The provisions of this Chapter are in addition to and do not in any manner limit or affect the provisions of any other statute under which any remedy or right of appeal is provided for any person or any procedure is provided for the inquiry into or investigation of any matter. Th…

If any part of this Chapter shall be declared invalid, all other parts shall remain in full force and effect; the provisions of this Chapter are declared to be severable. SOURCE: GC § 1444. Added by P.L. 14-99; renumbered by P.L. 15-83. ---------- COL120106

The Guam Legislature shall be an associate member of the Asian Pacific Parliamentarians Union. The Speaker shall be Guam's Chief Delegate to the Asian Pacific Parliamentarians Union. He shall appoint members of the Legislature or other citizens of the Territory to serve as Guam's…

The Legislature is authorized to join, as a participating member, the National Legislative Conference, or its successor. Members of the Legislature may serve as officers of such conference, which is an organization composed of legislative staff members and legislators from the CO…

The Legislature is authorized to join, as a participating member, the Conference of State Legislative Leaders, or its successor. Members of the Legislature may serve as officers of said conference, which is an organization composed of the leaders of the legislative bodies of the …

The Legislature is authorized to join, as a participating member, the Pacific Conference of Legislators, or its successor. Members of the Legislature may serve as officers of said conference, which is an organization composed of legislative staff members and legislative bodies th…

There is hereby authorized to be appropriated from time to time sums needed to provide for effective participation by the Legislature in the Pacific Conference of Legislators, such appropriations to include, as necessary, contributions by Guam to the expenses of said Conference. …

There is within the Legislative Branch of the government of Guam, a Youth Congress. SOURCE: GC § 1700, repealed and added by P.L. 12-218.

The Youth Congress shall act as a legislative body with the power to make its own rules, establish committees, hold hearings, pass resolutions and to prepare and pass bills, which will be forwarded to the Rules Committee of the Guam Legislature for action as with a legislative bi…

The Congress shall be composed of not to exceed fifty-one (51) members, to be known as Representatives, to be elected from the areas listed below: 1. Village Representation: a. One (1) representative from each organized village with a COL 03192010 population below 5,000. b. Two (…

No person shall be eligible to vote for a Representative, or sit in the Congress who has not attained the age of fourteen (14) years, or who will be twenty-five (25) prior to the expiration of the term for which he seeks to qualify as a voter or as a member, or who has been convi…

In case of a vacancy occurring one (1) year prior to the next general election because a member can no longer qualify to represent the entity from which the member is elected, the school principal of the public or private junior or senior high schools or the President of the Univ…

Regular sessions of the Congress shall be held each third Saturday of the year exclusive of holidays, commencing the third Saturday in November, and shall continue for Two (2) calendar years. Sessions shall be held in the legislative chamber of the Guam Legislature. SOURCE: GC § …

General election to the Youth Congress shall be held on the third Monday in October commencing October, 1994 and every two (2) years thereafter. The election for school representatives will be conducted by the school principal of the public or private junior or senior high school…

Members of the Youth Congress shall be elected for a term of two (2) years with the exception of a member who is elected on special election, the term of which will expire on the next general election for the Youth Congress. SOURCE: Added by P.L. 22-140:3(d) (9/29/94).

The Congress shall be the judge of the selection and qualification of its own members. It shall choose from its members its own officers, its rules and procedure, not inconsistent with this Chapter or the Rules of the Guam Legislature. The quorum of the Congress shall equal one-h…

The Congress is authorized to employ on a part-time basis under contract a basic staff consisting of an Administrative Officer, a legal secretary, attaches including a Legal Counsel, a recording secretary and a sergeant-at-arms. Additional logistic support, clerical and technical…

Representatives of Congress shall be compensated at the rate of Twenty-Five Dollars ($25) for each regularly monthly or special session they attend. COL 03192010 SOURCE: GC § 1709, repealed and added by P.L. 12-218. Amended by P.L. 20- 231:1.

The Guam Youth Congress shall have the authority, on a quarterly basis, to present the “Excellence in Youth Leadership” Award. The Speaker of the Guam Youth Congress, in conjunction with the Chairman of the Committee on Rules of the Youth Congress, the Executive Director of I Lih…

The criteria for selecting awardees to receive the “Excellence in Youth Leadership” award shall be: residents of Guam under the age of twenty- seven (27) years and over the age of fourteen (14) years, who have shown exceptional leadership qualities, and who have made substantial …

(a) Definitions. (1) Lobbyist means any person who engages for pay in any amount, or engages for any in-kind consideration, which may include expenses, for the purpose of attempting to influence the passage, defeat, or content of any legislation by I Liheslaturan Guåhan. (2) Lobb…

All bills that have an effect upon the revenues or the expenditure of any funds of the government of Guam shall identify a specific funding source for which funds are, in fact, available. Any bill for which a fiscal note indicates that no funds, or insufficient funds, are availab…

COL121007 or Increased Revenue Enhancements. (a) Revenue estimates contained in any Annual or Supplemental Operating Budget Bill for the government of Guam shall not include revenues derived from new or increased taxes, fees or other revenue enhancements authorized by the same bi…

Except as provided in § 9106 of this Chapter, a bill shall not be reported out by a Standing Committee of I Liheslaturan Guåhan or placed on a legislative session, unless it is accompanied by a fiscal note, or waiver thereof, prepared by the Bureau of Budget and Management Resear…

The fiscal note, or waiver thereof, shall be prepared by the Director of BBMR, in coordination with the Director of the department, agency or appropriate government instrumentality, affected by the bill.

(a) For appropriation bills, a fiscal note shall contain the best estimate of the fiscal impact of a bill for the fiscal year in which it would become effective, if enacted, and for the next four (4) succeeding fiscal years. If the fiscal impact of the bill is not expected to occ…

The fiscal note shall be provided, to the Standing Committee requesting a fiscal note on a bill, no later than fourteen (14) days from receipt of the request for the fiscal note, or waiver thereof. BBMR may request, in writing with justification, to the Chairperson of the Standin…