House delegation passes House Local Bill 24‑55 for emergency typhoon relief

The House delegation convened an emergency session April 24 and unanimously passed House Local Bill 24‑55 to appropriate revenues for immediate typhoon relief, the chair announced after a roll-call vote. The measure, introduced for action under suspended rules, passed with all 16 members present voting yes.

The floor leader moved for passage and the vice chairwoman offered a technical amendment to clarify statutory language, requesting insertion of the words "emergency operations" on page 4 and the word "if" in a second-line provision. Legal counsel said the changes were technical and could be handled administratively. After brief discussion the clerk called the roll and the chair declared the bill adopted by the delegation.

The bill was introduced as "to appropriate revenues collected for the 3rd Senatorial District pursuant to Public Law 20‑59." During debate members referenced an available delegation balance the clerk estimated could amount to approximately $220,000 that might be deployed to mayoral offices and precinct needs during the emergency. The chair said the delegation would ask staff to transmit the adopted bill to the administration for the governor's consideration and signature as soon as possible.

The chair also thanked federal and regional partners and first responders for their relief work and noted an approved emergency declaration. "We want to thank our federal partners who are already set foot here on our islands," the chair said, adding that hundreds more personnel were expected to arrive in coming days.

The delegation took the action under an emergency declaration that the floor leader said was prompted by "the urgent need for legislative action on emergency appropriation measures to address the immediate and critical needs of the people of the Commonwealth resulting from the devastation caused by super typhoons in Laku." The clerk recorded the vote as 16 yes, 0 no.

Next steps: bureau staff were asked to forward the adopted bill to the governor for consideration; members said the administration could consider signature as early as the next business day.