Bill to keep BPT at 4.5% and convert $40M into storm‑relief grants fails on floor

Senator Barnett offered an amendment to preserve the 4.5% business privilege tax (BPT) rate and use the revenue that would otherwise fund a further rollback (about $40 million) to fund the "Storm Assistance for You" (Safuu) grants for households harmed by recent typhoons.

Barnett described the program as a targeted $1,000 grant per eligible household to pay for physical home hardening and recovery — items such as typhoon shutters, reinforced doors, portable generators, residential solar or food replacement. "This grant program provides $1,000 grants to eligible households," Barnett said, urging colleagues to prioritize direct relief for families affected by Super Typhoon Bavi and Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

Supporters argued the measure would invest directly in households and local resiliency rather than permanently reducing BPT for the island’s largest businesses. "We could put money in the pockets and purses of our working families," one supporter said, adding that the half-percent rollback already delivered a $40 million windfall to the largest businesses and that additional rollback would risk long-term revenue losses.

Opponents said the amendment arrived late and risked undermining prior commitments to businesses, warned of uncertain downstream economic effects, and objected to changing tax policy without fuller study. After debate and a hand vote the chair announced the Barnett amendment failed.

The committee returned to other revenue items after the vote; Barnett’s motion to amend the amendment and related parliamentary maneuvers were recorded in the transcript.