36th Legislature approves sanitation, social‑work, expungement and school‑funding bills; retirement contribution increase fails

The 36th Legislature on June 27 approved a package of bills addressing public‑health fines, professional licensing and school funding while rejecting an amendment to raise employer retirement contributions.

The body voted to increase penalties for sanitation‑law violations (Bill 36‑000043) and to modernize social‑work regulation (Bill 36‑000050) and to establish the Virgin Islands Board of Social Work (Bill 36‑000051). Lawmakers also approved an amended automatic‑expungement measure (Bill 36‑0057) to clear arrest records and complaints when an accused person is acquitted or when a criminal complaint is dismissed with prejudice.

“These bills … reflect our continued efforts to enhance justice, education, public safety, public health and professional standards across the territory,” Senator Noville E. Francis Jr. said on the floor while offering amendments to the education measure.

The session also produced a package of amendments to Bill 36‑0064, which lawmakers said would align disbursement and spending limits from the education initiative fund with schools’ academic planning. Sponsors offered multiple targeted amendments, including scholarship language and appropriations for local projects. After roll call the amended 36‑0064 was passed by the body and will be sent to the governor for consideration.

Not every proposal advanced. Senator Marvin Biden offered an amendment to increase the employer retirement‑contribution rate from 9% to 15%. Legal counsel told members the change would take effect on enactment unless the legislature specified a later effective date; advocates and opponents argued about timing and equity. The floor roll call on that amendment produced seven yeas, seven nays and one absent, and the amendment failed.

A public commenter opened the session with a broad appeal for fiscal accountability, urging the legislature to “cut the fluff” and collect outstanding taxes. The commenter alleged unexplained territorial expenditures — citing, by their account, $33 million in "Epstein funds," $100 million given to WAPA and $38 million in ARPA funds — and urged the body to prioritize raises for lower‑paid employees.

Votes at a glance

- Bill 36‑000043 (amend Title 19): Increase penalties for sanitation violations — favorably voted and forwarded to the governor. - Bill 36‑000050 (repeal/reenact Title 27 Chapter 20): Modernize regulation of social work — favorably voted and forwarded to the governor. - Bill 36‑000051 (amend Title 27 Chapter 20): Establish the Virgin Islands Board of Social Work — favorably voted and forwarded to the governor. - Bill 36‑0057 (amend Title 5 Chapter 314 §3733): Require automatic expungement when accused is acquitted or complaint is dismissed with prejudice (as amended) — favorably voted and forwarded to the governor. - Bill 36‑0064 (amend Title 33 Chapter 111 §31000I): Align education‑initiative fund disbursement and spending rules, plus multiple amendments — passed (14 yays, 0 nays, 1 absent) and forwarded to the governor. - Retirement contribution amendment to Bill 36‑0064 (proposed employer contribution increase from 9% to 15%) — failed on roll call (7 yays, 7 nays, 1 absent).

Why it matters

The measures touch core local responsibilities: sanitation enforcement affects public‑health outcomes and municipal service compliance; social‑work regulation and a licensing board set professional standards for workers who serve vulnerable residents; automatic expungement aims to remove collateral barriers for people acquitted or whose complaints are dismissed; and the education‑fund changes could alter how schools access flexible dollars for academic planning.

What’s next

All passed bills will be forwarded to the governor for final consideration and potential enactment. The failed retirement amendment could return in a future session in revised form or with an adjusted effective date if sponsors choose to reintroduce it.