§1421g Establishment and Maintenance of Public Bodies and Offices

Summary

The Governor must set up and run public health services in Guam, like hospitals, clinics, and quarantine stations, and make rules to stop diseases from coming in or spreading, all under Guam law. The Government of Guam must provide an adequate public school system and run public schools under Guam law. Guam may create an Office of Public Prosecutor and an Office of Public Auditor, and those officials can be removed according to Guam law. The Attorney General is the chief legal officer of Guam. When the job next becomes vacant, the Governor must appoint the Attorney General with the legislature’s approval and the appointee serves at the Governor’s pleasure. The legislature may instead allow voters to elect the Attorney General in general elections after 1998 for a four-year term. An elected Attorney General can be removed by the people under section 1422d or for cause under laws set by the legislature. If an elected Attorney General’s office becomes vacant, the Governor appoints a replacement if the vacancy is less than 6 months before a general election; otherwise a special election must be held between 3 months after the vacancy and 6 months before the next general election, with a temporary appointment by the Governor until that special election.