Legislature advances bill allowing Guam to enter reciprocal driver's‑license agreements with foreign governments

Senator Tina Rosa Munia Barnes moved Bill 99‑38 COR to the third‑reading file. The measure would authorize the government of Guam to enter into driver's‑license reciprocity agreements with foreign governments so that eligible foreign nationals could exchange a valid foreign license for a Guam license without redundant testing, subject to eligibility and safety checks.

Sponsor remarks and committee changes: The sponsor said the measure was modeled after reciprocity statutes in other U.S. jurisdictions and was amended to assign primary implementation responsibility to the governor and to require Department of Revenue and Taxation (RevTax) rules and reporting safeguards. The bill’s committee amendments added mechanisms for RevTax to determine equivalence of foreign licensing standards, to waive written vision and skill testing where appropriate, and to include terms for returning an applicant’s foreign license upon expiration or departure.

Countries and criteria: The sponsor cited Taiwan, Japan and South Korea as examples of jurisdictions with licensing standards that might be eligible for reciprocity based on stricter training and testing. The bill also directs that participating foreign nationals must provide proof of legal presence in Guam (the author said evidence such as arrival records or an address would be used in practice) and that the governor will negotiate agreements with foreign governments. The committee also added language to exclude countries designated as sponsors of terrorism or otherwise identified by the federal government as a national‑security or public‑safety concern.

Public safety and reporting: An amendment requires RevTax to include in periodic reports any public‑safety incidents involving license holders issued under these reciprocity agreements; proponents said that reporting will help detect misuse and fraudulent submissions.

Procedural status: The sponsor moved the bill to the third‑reading file; members raised technical questions during debate about defining "legal presence" and how countries would be designated as security risks. The motion to move the bill carried with no objection. Moving to third reading does not enact the bill but advances it toward final consideration.

Ending: If enacted, the bill would create a governor‑led negotiation process and a RevTax regulatory framework designed to allow Guam to accept equivalent foreign licenses while retaining safeguards tied to Real‑ID standards and federal guidance.