48 USC 1423 - Legislature of Guam

Collapse to view only § 1423. Legislature of Guam

§ 1423. Legislature of Guam
§ 1423a. Power of legislature; limitation on indebtedness of Guam; bond issues; guarantees for purchase by Federal Financing Bank of Guam Power Authority bonds or other obligations; interest rates; default
§ 1423b. Selection and qualification of members; officers; rules and regulations; quorum
§ 1423c. Privileges of members
§ 1423d. Oath of office
§ 1423e. Prohibition against acceptance of salary increases or newly created offices
§ 1423f. Qualifications of members
§ 1423g. Vacancies
§ 1423h. Regular and special sessions
§ 1423i. Approval of bills
§ 1423j. Authorization of appropriations
§ 1423k. Right of petition
§ 1423l. Omitted

§ 1423. Legislature of Guam

(a) Unicameral nature; power

(b) Size of legislature; prohibition against denial of equal protection; at large and district representation

(d) Timing of biennial elections

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, § 10, 64 Stat. 387; Pub. L. 89–552, § 1, Sept. 2, 1966, 80 Stat. 375; Pub. L. 98–213, § 5(b), Dec. 8, 1983, 97 Stat. 1460.)

§ 1423a. Power of legislature; limitation on indebtedness of Guam; bond issues; guarantees for purchase by Federal Financing Bank of Guam Power Authority bonds or other obligations; interest rates; default

The legislative power of Guam shall extend to all rightful subjects of legislation not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter and the laws of the United States applicable to Guam. Taxes and assessments on property, internal revenues, sales, license fees, and royalties for franchises, privileges, and concessions may be imposed for purposes of the government of Guam as may be uniformly provided by the Legislature of Guam, and when necessary to anticipate taxes and revenues, bonds and other obligations may be issued by the government of Guam: Provided, however, That no public indebtedness of Guam shall be authorized or allowed in excess of 10 per centum of the aggregate tax valuation of the property in Guam. Bonds or other obligations of the government of Guam payable solely from revenues derived from any public improvement or undertaking shall not be considered public indebtedness of Guam within the meaning of this section. All bonds issued by the government of Guam or by its authority shall be exempt, as to principal and interest, from taxation by the Government of the United States or by the government of Guam, or by any State or Territory or any political subdivision thereof, or by the District of Columbia. The Secretary of the Interior (hereafter in this section referred to as “Secretary”) is authorized to guarantee for purchase by the Federal Financing Bank bonds or other obligations of the Guam Power Authority maturing on or before December 31, 1978, which shall be issued in order to refinance short-term notes due or existing on June 1, 1976 and other indebtedness not evidenced by bonds or notes in an aggregate amount of not more than $36 million, and such bank, in addition to its other powers, is authorized to purchase, receive or otherwise acquire these same. The interest rate on obligations purchased by the Federal Financing Bank shall be not less than a rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury taking into consideration the current average market yield on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States of comparable maturities, adjusted to the nearest one-eighth of 1 per centum, plus 1 per centum per annum. The Secretary, with the concurrence of the Secretary of the Treasury, may extend the guarantee provision of the previous sentence until December 31, 1980. The Secretary, upon determining that the Guam Power Authority is unable to refinance on reasonable terms the obligations purchased by the Federal Financing Bank under the fifth sentence of this section by December 31, 1980, may, with the concurrence of the Secretary of the Treasury, guarantee for purchase by the Federal Financing Bank; and such bank is authorized to purchase, obligations of the Guam Power Authority issued to refinance the principal amount of the obligations guaranteed under the fifth sentence of this section. The obligations that refinance such principal amount shall mature not later than December 31, 1990, and shall bear interest at a rate determined in accordance with section 2285 of title 12. At the request of the Board of Directors of the Guam Power Authority for a second refinancing agreement and conditioned on the approval of the Government of Guam pursuant to the law of Guam, and conditioned on the establishment of an independent rate-making authority by the Government of Guam, the Secretary may guarantee for purchase by the Federal Financing Bank, on or before December 31, 1984, according to an agreement that shall provide for—

(a) substantially equal semiannual installments of principal and interest;

(b) maturity of obligations no later than December 31, 2004;

(c) authority for the Secretary, should there be a violation of a provision of this legislation, or covenants or stipulations contained in the refinancing document and after giving sixty days notice of such violation to the Guam Power Authority and the Governor of Guam, to dismiss members of the Board of Directors or the general manager of the Guam Power Authority, and (1) appoint in their place members or a general manager who shall serve at the pleasure of the Secretary, or (2) contract for the management of the Guam Power Authority; and

(d) an annual simple interest rate of seven per centum; and

the Federal Financing Bank shall purchase such Guam Power Authority obligations if such Guam Power Authority obligations are issued to refinance the principal amount scheduled to mature on December 31, 1990. Should such second refinancing occur, (1) the independent rate-making authority to be established by the Government of Guam, or in its absence, the Board of Directors of the Guam Power Authority, shall establish rates sufficient to satisfy all financial obligations and future capital investment needs of the Guam Power Authority that shall be consistent with generally accepted rate-making practices of public utilities, and (2) the Government of Guam shall not modify the requirements of such refinancing agreement without agreement of the Secretary. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior for payment to the Federal Financing Bank such sums as are necessary to pay (1) the repurchase payment required under the fifth paragraph of the December 31, 1980, note from the Guam Power Authority to the Federal Financing Bank and any subsequent repurchase payments required under the second refinancing agreement, and (2) the interest rate differential between the seven per centum to be paid by the Guam Power Authority and the second refinancing agreement and the interest rate that would otherwise be determined in accordance with the above cited section 2285 of title 12. Should the Guam Power Authority fail to pay in full any installment of interest or principal when due on the bonds or other obligations guaranteed under this section, the Secretary of the Treasury, upon notice from the Secretary shall deduct and pay to the Federal Financing Bank or the Secretary, according to their respective interests, such unpaid amounts from sums collected and payable pursuant to section 1421h of this title

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, § 11, 64 Stat. 387; Pub. L. 94–395, Sept. 3, 1976, 90 Stat. 1199; Pub. L. 96–205, title III, § 303, Mar. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 88; Pub. L. 98–454, title II, § 203, Oct. 5, 1984, 98 Stat. 1733; Pub. L. 105–291, § 4, Oct. 27, 1998, 112 Stat. 2786.)

§ 1423b. Selection and qualification of members; officers; rules and regulations; quorum

The legislature shall be the judge of the selection and qualification of its own members. It shall choose from its members its own officers, determine its rules and procedure, not inconsistent with this chapter, and keep a journal. The quorum of the legislature shall consist of a simple majority of its members. No bill shall become a law unless it shall have been passed at a meeting, at which a quorum was present, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting, which vote shall be by yeas and nays.

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, § 12, 64 Stat. 388; Pub. L. 90–497, § 6(b), Sept. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 846; Pub. L. 105–291, § 3, Oct. 27, 1998, 112 Stat. 2785.)

§ 1423c. Privileges of members

(a) The members of the legislature shall, in all cases except treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the legislature and in going to and returning from the same.

(b) No member of the legislature shall be held to answer before any tribunal other than the legislature itself for any speech or debate in the legislature.

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, § 13, 64 Stat. 388.)

§ 1423d. Oath of office

Every member of the legislature and all officers of the government of Guam shall take the following oath or affirmation:

“I solemnly swear (or affirm) in the presence of Almighty God that I will well and faithfully support the Constitution of the United States, the laws of the United States applicable to Guam and the laws of Guam, and that I will conscientiously and impartially discharge my duties as a member of the Guam Legislature (or as an officer of the government of Guam).”

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, § 14, 64 Stat. 388.)

§ 1423e. Prohibition against acceptance of salary increases or newly created offices

No member of the legislature shall, during the term for which he was elected or during the year following the expiration of such term, be appointed to any office which has been created, or the salary or emoluments of which have been increased during such term.

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, § 15, 64 Stat. 388.)

§ 1423f. Qualifications of members

No person shall sit in the legislature who is not a citizen of the United States, who has not attained the age of twenty-five years and who has not been domiciled in Guam for at least five years immediately preceding the sitting of the legislature in which he seeks to qualify as a member, or who has been convicted of a felony or of a crime involving moral turpitude and has not received a pardon restoring his civil rights.

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, § 16, 64 Stat. 388.)

§ 1423g. Vacancies

Vacancies occurring in the legislature shall be filled as the legislature shall provide, except that no person filling a vacancy shall hold office longer than for the remainder of the term for which his predecessor was elected.

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, § 17, 64 Stat. 388.)

§ 1423h. Regular and special sessions

Regular sessions of the legislature shall be held annually, commencing on the second Monday in January (unless the legislature shall by law fix a different date), and shall continue for such term as the legislature may provide. The Governor may call special sessions of the legislature at any time when, in his opinion, the public interest may require it. No legislation shall be considered at any special session other than that specified in the call therefor or in any special message by the Governor to the legislature while in such session. All sessions of the legislature shall be open to the public.

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, § 18, 64 Stat. 388; Pub. L. 90–497, § 6(a), Sept. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 846.)

§ 1423i. Approval of bills

Every bill passed by the legislature shall, before it becomes a law, be entered upon the journal and presented to the Governor. If he approves it, he shall sign it, but if not he shall, except as hereinafter provided, return it, with his objections, to the legislature within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him. If he does not return it within such period, it shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the legislature by adjournment prevents its return, in which case it shall be a law if signed by the Governor within thirty days after it shall have been presented to him; otherwise it shall not be a law. When a bill is returned by the Governor to the legislature with his objections, the legislature shall enter his objections at large on its journal and, upon motion of a member of the legislature, proceed to reconsider the bill. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of all the members of the legislature pass the bill, it shall be a law. If any bill presented to the Governor contains several items of appropriation of money, he may object to one or more of such items, or any part or parts, portion or portions thereof, while approving the other items, parts, or portions of the bill. In such a case he shall append to the bill at the time of signing it, a statement of the items, or parts or portions thereof, to which he objects, and the items, or parts or portions thereof, so objected to shall not take effect. All laws enacted by the legislature shall be reported by the Governor to the head of the department or agency designated by the President under section 1421a of this title. The Congress of the United States reserves the power and authority to annul the same.

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, § 19, 64 Stat. 389; Pub. L. 90–497, § 8, Sept. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 847; Pub. L. 93–608, § 1(14), Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1969.)

§ 1423j. Authorization of appropriations

(a) Appropriations, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, and except such appropriations as shall be made from time to time by the Congress of the United States, shall be made by the legislature.

(b) If at the termination of any fiscal year the legislature shall have failed to pass appropriation bills providing for payments of the necessary current expenses of the government and meeting its legal obligations for the ensuing fiscal year, then the several sums appropriated in the last appropriation bills for the objects and purposes therein specified, so far as the same may be applicable, shall be deemed to be reappropriated, item by item.

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, § 20, 64 Stat. 389.)

§ 1423k. Right of petition

The legislature or any person or group of persons in Guam shall have the unrestricted right of petition. It shall be the duty of all officers of the government to receive and without delay to act upon or forward, as the case may require, any such petition.

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, § 21, 64 Stat. 389.)

§ 1423l. Omitted