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Guam Legislature moves Veterans Service Recognition Month bill to third-reading after amendments
Summary
Lawmakers advanced Bill 92-38, designating November as Veterans Service Recognition Month, adopting floor amendments to expand the Guam Veterans Registry, require annual reports and specify the Guam Office of Veterans Affairs as the implementing entity; the measure was moved to the third-reading file with no recorded objections.
Senator Sabrina Salas Matanani moved to place Bill 92-38 on the voting file, asking colleagues to advance legislation that would add a new subsection (1401) to Chapter 10, Title 1 of the Guam Code Annotated to designate November as Veterans Service Recognition Month and authorize government-supported monthlong recognition activities.
The bill’s author told the chamber the measure had a full public hearing and widespread support from the veterans community. On the floor, senators offered and the body adopted several amendments. One amendment explicitly encouraged expansion of the Guam Veterans Registry so that veterans who participate in recognition activities could be recorded for outreach and benefits-eligibility purposes. Another amendment changed a provision on required reporting from “may” to “shall,” making the annual report mandatory, and a separate amendment specified the Guam Office of Veterans Affairs (GOVA) rather than the broader phrase “government of Guam instrumentality” as the coordinating entity to implement the monthlong activities and to consult the statutory veterans commission.
Supporters emphasized both symbolic and practical aims: proponents described the month as a way to extend observances around Veterans Day, to support veterans’ access to services and to preserve and share veterans’ stories. A senator on the floor noted an estimated figure of roughly 13,000 veterans residing in Guam as of 2022 and said increasing registry participation could improve veterans’ access to federal benefits.
Senators who spoke repeatedly urged that statutory language create obligations (through “shall”) rather than optional tasks (through “may”) so government instrumentalities would be required to report and carry out coordination. Lawmakers also discussed that, historically, veterans organizations have often borne the cost of recognition events and that the bill assigns a government funding and coordination role.
After amendments were adopted without recorded objections, the chamber moved the bill to the third-reading file for final consideration and possible passage to the governor.
The measure as amended includes statutory references to a new subsection in Chapter 10, Title 1 of the Guam Code Annotated and directs multiple agencies (including GOVA and the Guam Department of Education) to undertake specified outreach, curriculum, cultural and commemoration activities during the designated month. The bill’s text as discussed on the floor lists specific duties, reporting requirements and consultation obligations; funding sources were described in general as government of Guam appropriations rather than a specific appropriation line item.
Next steps: Bill 92-38, as amended, is on the third-reading file for final floor action and then, if passed, would be sent to the governor for signature.
