Guam committee holds public hearing on bill to increase penalties for graffiti

Senators on the Guam Legislature committee on Economic Investment, Military Build Up, Regional Relations, Technology, Regulatory Affairs, Justice, Election, and Retirement held a public hearing Oct. 15 on Bill 167-38 COR, a measure to increase penalties for graffiti on public and private property.

The measure, introduced by Speaker Frank Blas Jr. and read into the record by Committee Chairwoman Senator Tello Tiedegui, would amend provisions referenced in the hearing as subsection 34-70f and 34-70i of chapter 34, title 9 of the Guam Code Annotated to increase fines and strengthen consequences for persons who deface community property. "This bill seeks to amend existing law by increasing the penalties for those who chose to deface our community with graffiti," Speaker Blas said, adding the aim is to "restore pride in our neighbors" and hold offenders accountable.

Attorney Lee Miller, providing testimony on behalf of the Office of the Attorney General of Guam, said the office supports Bill 167-38 COR. "Graffiti is not simply a cosmetic issue. It is a crime that erodes our people's quality of life and undermines respect for the law and property," Miller testified. The attorney general's office recommended that the legislature consider dedicating a portion of collected fines and penalties to a rapid-response graffiti removal program for government property to demonstrate that vandalism will be removed quickly and to discourage further incidents.

The Bureau of Budget and Management Research (BBMR) submitted a written fiscal comment noting it lacked necessary information—such as the number of individuals likely to be found guilty and the frequency of graffiti offenses at identifiable locations—to estimate revenue from increased fines. BBMR also warned of potential cost impacts to the Department of Corrections if the bill led to longer incarceration terms, citing associated expenses such as meals, health care, and clothing.

Judiciary of Guam provided written comments and said it would continue to review the measure, noting in its letter that the courts already have mechanisms to protect privacy interests and that certain bill provisions "may duplicate existing procedures." Committee members acknowledged these written inputs and invited the Office of the Attorney General to clarify mismatches in the fiscal note language before further action.

No formal vote was taken during the Oct. 15 hearing. Committee Chairwoman Tiedegui stated the bill "has been publicly heard" and the committee will accept additional written testimony for five business days following the hearing.

The committee did not specify exact fine amounts or sentencing changes during the hearing; such details appear in the bill text on the Guam Legislature website and were not read into the record in full during the session. Committee members said they will address fiscal and statutory details during a future markup session.