After just three days in the emergency session, senators came to a consensus and passed both the $50 million substitute supplemental spending measure and ambulance emergency procurement bill.

Lawmakers reconvened Thursday afternoon back into the committee of the whole for Bill 362, questioning acting Fire Chief Daren Burrier amid concerns the Guam Fire Department only has five operating ambulances while others are stuck waiting in a long procurement process. 

Senator Frank Blas: This is not intended to buy you a new ambulance. 

Burrier: No, I recognize that its intention is for maintenance and repairs. 

Blas: Quick repairs quickly so we can get it out so it doesn’t have to go through the minutiae of the regular procurement process.  So if an ambulance breaks down tomorrow, if this becomes law, you have the ability to make that determination as chief to move the process forward. 

Burrier: Okay. Yeah. 

Blas: Would that be valuable? 

Burrier: Yeah. Like I said, the intention of this law is a positive one and it’s all for the people of Guam.

Bill 362 ultimately passed with 12 senators’ support with only Senator Will Parkinson voting no. 

Meanwhile, the omnibus spending Bill 355 that seeks to allocate excess revenues to fund critically underfunded GovGuam priorities like $20 million for the hospital, $10 million for public schools and $2.5 million for the Guam Cancer Trust fund also passed with all senators present voting yes.

Meantime, both bills are now headed to Governor Lou Leon Guerrero’s desk for her signature.