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Committee of the Whole sets aside first $20M of FY26 surplus for Guam Memorial Hospital Authority
Summary
The Committee of the Whole approved an amendment to appropriate the first $20 million of Guam's fiscal-year 2026 unobligated general fund balance to the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority for operational expenses; senators debated timing, vendor payables and whether similar FY25 language should have been allowed.
The Committee of the Whole approved an amendment to appropriate the first $20,000,000 of the fiscal year 2026 net unobligated general fund balance to the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority for operating expenses.
The amendment, offered by Senator Joe St. Augustine, was adopted as amended after the body approved a change substituting the word "first" for "sum," making the provision apply to the first $20 million of FY26 unobligated funds. The panel passed the amendment by voice vote with no recorded objections.
Senator Joe St. Augustine, the amendment's author, said the provision would "obligate the first $20,000,000 that comes in in 2026" and directed those funds to the hospital so "it can take care of all the other expenses, because ... GMH needs funds." Ranking Member Senator Tina Munoz Barnes voiced support for the amendment's intent, saying it showed the legislature understood the hospital's immediate needs.
Several senators pressed for additional detail about timing and whether the appropriation would divert funds from prior-year obligations. Senator Tydiguo (identified in transcript as a senator raising timing questions) asked whether the appropriation would take precedence over outstanding FY25 obligations. An Office of Finance and Budget representative told the panel the amendment targets excess revenue for FY26 and would not automatically apply to prior-year public-law obligations, which the speaker said were already funded when authorized.
Other lawmakers said the hospital faces notable shortfalls. Senator Chilay said GMH has multi-part shortfalls and unpaid vendor balances, telling colleagues the facility was "28,000,000 short in operations, 29,300,000 short in CIP, and 25,000,000 accounts payable," and adding that about $16,000,000 of those payables had been unpaid for more than 90 days. Senator Perez said the funds would help address accounts payable and supported the amendment.
Earlier in the session, an amendment that would have used FY25 excess revenues to help GMH was ruled out of order by the chair; a motion to overrule the chair on that procedural point failed. Senators who moved that motion argued vendors were owed more than $25 million; the chair ruled the earlier amendment non-germane because it was predicated on a prior amendment that did not pass.
Senator St. Augustine and other supporters said the FY26-targeted amendment gives GMH additional resources but that the precise timing of when the money becomes available depends on when FY26 excess revenues are identified. Several senators noted that, under the adopted language, receipt of the funds likely would wait until the surplus is confirmed during FY26 (several speakers said December was a likely timing for distribution, depending on collections and reports).
The amendment was adopted as amended by voice vote with no recorded objections, and the committee moved on to the next budget chapter.
Ending: The appropriation directs the first $20 million of any FY26 net unobligated general fund balance to Guam Memorial Hospital Authority for operating expenses; the exact timing of any payout depends on when FY26 excess revenue is certified and available for obligation.
