Legislature places $12.3 million SNAP and WIC emergency appropriation on second reading; committee of the whole to convene
October 24, 2025 | General Government Operations and Appropriations , Legislative, Guam
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The Guam Legislature, in its fourth special session on Oct. 24, 2025, placed a governor-requested bill on second reading to appropriate $12,300,000 from fiscal year 2025, net of unobligated excess revenue, to the Department of Public Health and Social Services to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) for November.
Senator Duenas moved to place the bill — introduced by the Committee on Rules at the governor's request and cited as consistent with the Organic Act of Guam — on the agenda for second reading. The motion to put the bill on the agenda carried with no objections. Majority Leader Senator Lujan and other senators also made procedural motions during the session that were carried without objection.
The Legislature resolved the matter to the committee of the whole to allow for questioning of fiscal and health officials. The senators said they would call the director of BBMR, the director of the Department of Administration and officials from the Department of Public Health and Social Services to appear before the committee for questioning. Senators then recessed the special session until 2 p.m. to give those officials time to arrive.
One senator, who was not identified by name in the transcript, said he had “no objection to the motion, but I just wanna say it seems pretty ridiculous to me that the governor calls us in for emergency session, and we can't have the fiscal team here at the same time that she's made the call.” That senator urged the body to call the fiscal team sooner than the scheduled reconvening.
Other procedural steps recorded during the session included adoption of the day's agenda, multiple waivers of nonessential agenda items, and deeming the bill to have received its first reading. Several motions throughout the morning were carried by unanimous consent with “no objection” as indicated on the record.
The bill text, as read into the record, specifies the appropriation amount and that funds are taken from fiscal year 2025 “net of unobligated excess revenue.” The transcript does not specify an internal bill number beyond the wording used on the floor (“bill number 14-S” as transcribed). The session record also does not include a roll-call vote tally for the committee-of-the-whole referral or the motion to place the bill on second reading; all listed motions carried with no objections on the floor.
The committee of the whole is expected to hear from the Bureau of Budget and Management Research (BBMR), the Department of Administration and the Department of Public Health and Social Services before the Legislature resumes consideration of the appropriation at 2 p.m.
Senator Duenas moved to place the bill — introduced by the Committee on Rules at the governor's request and cited as consistent with the Organic Act of Guam — on the agenda for second reading. The motion to put the bill on the agenda carried with no objections. Majority Leader Senator Lujan and other senators also made procedural motions during the session that were carried without objection.
The Legislature resolved the matter to the committee of the whole to allow for questioning of fiscal and health officials. The senators said they would call the director of BBMR, the director of the Department of Administration and officials from the Department of Public Health and Social Services to appear before the committee for questioning. Senators then recessed the special session until 2 p.m. to give those officials time to arrive.
One senator, who was not identified by name in the transcript, said he had “no objection to the motion, but I just wanna say it seems pretty ridiculous to me that the governor calls us in for emergency session, and we can't have the fiscal team here at the same time that she's made the call.” That senator urged the body to call the fiscal team sooner than the scheduled reconvening.
Other procedural steps recorded during the session included adoption of the day's agenda, multiple waivers of nonessential agenda items, and deeming the bill to have received its first reading. Several motions throughout the morning were carried by unanimous consent with “no objection” as indicated on the record.
The bill text, as read into the record, specifies the appropriation amount and that funds are taken from fiscal year 2025 “net of unobligated excess revenue.” The transcript does not specify an internal bill number beyond the wording used on the floor (“bill number 14-S” as transcribed). The session record also does not include a roll-call vote tally for the committee-of-the-whole referral or the motion to place the bill on second reading; all listed motions carried with no objections on the floor.
The committee of the whole is expected to hear from the Bureau of Budget and Management Research (BBMR), the Department of Administration and the Department of Public Health and Social Services before the Legislature resumes consideration of the appropriation at 2 p.m.
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