After tossing the bill back and forth between them, the Senate rejected the House bill version of the second supplemental budget for FY 2022-23, Senate Bill 11-83, SD5, HD2.
The 2nd supplemental budget bill includes the request for funds to help Guam recover from Mawar typhoon.
It had most of the requests removed during the passage of the first supplemental budget into RPPL 11-24.
Of importance to the Senate were the proposed amendments to the new PGST law, RPPL 11-11, that were struck out during the last budget session.
Other significant changes include language that requires certain expenditures to be administered and reported by specifically named parties. Examples include the funds appropriated to Mechesil Belau. The bill designated an administrative body to manage and report on the funds. Another such case is the funding of $250,000 to Guam. Again, they appointed the Office of the President to administer and report on the funds. This was not done before with government appropriations to clubs or men and women groups.
In the second supplemental budget, the House did it again, rejecting most of the Senate’s input and adding new ones.
Most of the House inputs were requests from the states, such as the 90k for Angaur Dock, $250K for Koror State waste management, 150K for Ngiwal State, Ngaraard, Ngiwal, and PCAA.
Senate rejected the House version in its entirety.
Either the Senate and House agree to discuss a compromise, or they have to re-introduce a new supplemental budget bill. (By: L.N. REklai)