A bill introduced by Sen. Telo T. Taitague to reinstate legislative oversight of long-term contracts has advanced to the voting file after receiving strong support on the session floor. Bill 119-38 seeks to restore a requirement for legislative approval of exceptional term contracts — defined as leases, permits, licenses, or agreements exceeding 15 years — by mandating legislative review, public hearings, and approval before such deals can move forward.
Taitague said the measure is needed to close what she called a “dangerous loophole” created by Public Law 38-1, which raised the threshold for lease terms but eliminated legislative review for longer contracts. “Agencies can now, with nothing more than a ‘determination of need,’ enter into contracts of 30, 50, even 100 years without a single public hearing, without legislative review, and without the people ever knowing the true cost of giving away what belongs to them,” she said, adding that the bill is about “checks and balances” and preventing “patterns of dispossession.”
The proposal drew testimony in favor from former governors Joseph Ada and Eddie Calvo. Ada called long-term leases “of substantial value and long-term consequence,” urging the need for transparency and accountability. Calvo’s statement, shared by Taitague in her closing remarks, emphasized that legislative review ensures large-scale agreements receive proper scrutiny, saying, “This kind of check and balance is not obstruction … It’s about good governance.”
Several senators spoke in support, including Sen. Therese Terlaje, who said the bill restores protections put in place after corruption investigations and lawsuits over past lease agreements. Sen. Chris Barnett also praised the measure, arguing that oversight after contracts are signed is meaningless. With no objections, Bill 119-38 moved forward to the voting file, setting the stage for a final decision by the Legislature.