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Legislature to codify Criminal Justice Automation Commission; bill adds reporting, data‑integrity duties
Summary
Bill 110‑38 COR would codify the Criminal Justice Automation Commission (CJAC) in statute, require annual reporting to the governor and legislature, and incorporate rules for data integrity and interoperability; floor remarks recorded a FY2026 budget request of $458,000 and the measure was ordered to the voting file.
Lawmakers moved Bill 110‑38 COR, as amended, which would formally create the Criminal Justice Automation Commission (CJAC) in statute and set membership, leadership and reporting requirements.
The bill’s floor presenter said CJAC, established informally in 1993, built the automated infrastructure that links Guam agencies to national criminal‑justice systems—fingerprint submission to the FBI, connection to the National Crime Information Center and an island‑wide fingerprinting system. The presenter cited testimony at the May 8 public hearing from Associate Justice Catherine Merriman of the Guam Supreme Court on the judiciary’s historical role in building and maintaining that infrastructure.
Amendments adopted during committee and on the floor require CJAC to submit an annual written report to the governor and the Legislature summarizing activities, accomplishments, challenges, interagency agreements and associated costs. The presenter referenced a requested budget allocation of $458,000 for FY2026 tied to CJAC operations and said subsequent amendments emphasize rules and procedures for data integrity, consistency and interoperability across systems.
Supporters on the floor described the bill as foundational to public safety and interagency coordination. They urged colleagues to support statutory creation of CJAC to maintain the island’s criminal‑justice information systems and to clarify funding and reporting expectations.
On the floor the author moved to add cosponsors, and the chamber carried the motion by unanimous consent. The author then moved the bill, as amended, to the voting file; the motion carried with no objections and the bill was ordered to third reading.
