Senators Shawn Gumataotao and Joe San Agustin have introduced Bill 214-38 (COR), a measure seeking to modify the membership of the Guam Ethics Commission to include appointments from community organizations and the three branches of government. The legislation aims to strengthen the Commission’s independence and ensure greater representation from the island’s civic and professional sectors.
The Ethics Commission, created in 1996 and implemented in 2019, is tasked with investigating and addressing alleged violations of Guam’s Standards of Conduct by government officials and employees. Currently, all seven members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Legislature. Under existing law, appointees must be U.S. citizens, bona fide Guam residents, and free of felony convictions, with no direct employment ties to the Government of Guam or its agencies.
Recent reports highlighted the Commission’s difficulty in conducting business after losing two members earlier this year, leaving it unable to meet quorum. “Recognizing the Commission’s responsibility to adjudicate complaints alleging Standard of Conduct violations by public officials and employees, this measure proposes to change its membership to include eligible residents appointed by community organizations and the two other branches of government,” Gumataotao said in a statement.
If passed, the bill would authorize appointments from the Governor, the Speaker of the Legislature, the Chief Justice of Guam, the Guam Chamber of Commerce, the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor’s Council of Guam, and the Association of Government Accountants Guam Chapter. Gumataotao said the proposed changes are designed to “strengthen the Commission’s independence and effectiveness now and into the future.”