Senator Parkinson offers amendment shifting nonprofit language; lawmakers send bill back to committee

Senator Parkinson proposed an amendment during a legislative session to change the title and content of a pending bill, including amendments to multiple Guam Code sections and creation of a new section to house nonprofit-corporation language.

Parkinson told the chamber the proposal would "strengthen[ ] the fiscal sustainability, establish[ ] the personnel policy, consolidat[e] the commission's fiscal authority, and increase stipends paid to commission members," and later proffered an amendment to move the nonprofit-corporation provision into a new section (read in the transcript as "88110") and to remove the nonprofit language from the bill's redundant-use-of-funds provision. Parkinson said the change reflected recommendations from legal counsel and was intended "to give [the commission] more avenues to generate funding" and to allow it to receive donations while remaining a line agency.

Senator Moussa said she supported the amendment's intent but said the text as drafted was confusing and risked mischaracterizing the commission's status. "This is Moussa. I support this amendment, because it was confusing," she said, and asked whether the change would remove the commission as a line agency or make it "self-sufficient and self-funding." Moussa said her understanding was that the commission already had authority to form a nonprofit and accept donations and asked the author to clarify the statutory language and the proposed revolving-fund mechanism.

The lawmaker identified by the presiding officer as the general lady from Timuning echoed concerns about the lack of clear statutory language on independent fiscal authority, personnel systems and corporate powers and asked that the bill be returned to committee so the author could work with legal counsel and provide a clearer plan. "I respectfully request that this bill be sent back to committee," she said.

The motion to send the bill back to committee was made on the floor, an objection was recorded, and the presiding officer announced the motion carried and stated, "Bills move back to committee." The transcript does not include a roll-call or a vote tally. The presiding officer later recessed the body and said the session would resume at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow for voting.

What happens next: the bill will return to committee for further drafting and clarification before it is returned to the floor for any subsequent votes or amendments.