The Legislature moved Bill 183-38 to the third-reading file after senators discussed delays, funding prospects and operational concerns surrounding a long-planned Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency (CQA) satellite inspection, holding and sterile facility at the Port Authority.

Sponsor Senator Kumutato said a CQA working group estimated the facility would cost upwards of $40,000,000, and that the agency planned to seek a Port Infrastructure Development Program grant from the U.S. Maritime Administration that could cover roughly 80% of construction costs. He also said CQA had secured $2,000,000 in federal assistance for architectural and engineering (A&E) work.

Supporters argued the facility is essential to strengthen interdiction of drugs, weapons and contraband and to prevent invasive species from entering Guam’s ecosystems. Several senators tied the project to broader customs modernization efforts (a harmonized system) and cited regional examples where modernization increased collections.

Questioners pressed whether Customs currently has a temporary sterile inspection area and whether the agency could complete construction by a 2028 extension date. The sponsor acknowledged the timeline is not guaranteed but pointed to progress on A&E funding and multiagency coordination, and he read supportive statements into the record from Attorney General Doug Moylan and customs leadership. The Attorney General’s statement included a call for aggressive inspection targets: “We must achieve 100% inspection of all containers at the port,” the sponsor read, adding the AG said such inspections would ‘‘significantly cut Guam’s crime rate.’’

Several senators said Customs should pursue interim inspection capacity, canine and staffing enhancements, and immediate steps to address apparent gaps in detection at the port while the permanent facility moves through design and procurement. The motion to move Bill 183-38, as amended by committee and with additional floor amendments and cosponsors, carried without objection.