[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2370 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                 Union Calendar No. 427
105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 2370

                          [Report No. 105-742]

  To amend the Organic Act of Guam for the purposes of clarifying the 
      local judicial structure and the office of Attorney General.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 31, 1997

     Mr. Underwood (for himself, Mr. Miller of California, and Mr. 
 Abercrombie) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

                           September 24, 1998

    Additional sponsors: Ms. Christian-Green and Mr. Romero-Barcelo

                           September 24, 1998

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
 [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 
                               31, 1997]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Organic Act of Guam for the purposes of clarifying the 
      local judicial structure and the office of Attorney General.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Guam Organic Act Amendments of 
1998''.

SEC. 2. ATTORNEY GENERAL OF GUAM.

    Section 29 of the Organic Act of Guam (48 U.S.C. 1421g) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d)(1) The Attorney General of Guam shall be the Chief Legal 
Officer of the Government of Guam. At such time as the Office of the 
Attorney General of Guam shall next become vacant, the Attorney General 
of Guam shall be appointed by the Governor of Guam with the advice and 
consent of the legislature, and shall serve at the pleasure of the 
Governor of Guam.
    ``(2) Instead of an appointed Attorney General, the legislature 
may, by law, provide for the election of the Attorney General of Guam 
by the qualified voters of Guam in general elections after 1998 in 
which the Governor of Guam is elected. The term of an elected Attorney 
General shall be 4 years. The Attorney General may be removed by the 
people of Guam according to the procedures specified in section 9-A of 
this Act or may be removed for cause in accordance with procedures 
established by the legislature in law. A vacancy in the office of an 
elected Attorney General shall be filled--
            ``(A) by appointment by the Governor of Guam if such 
        vacancy occurs less than 6 months before a general election for 
        the Office of Attorney General of Guam; or
            ``(B) by a special election held no sooner than 3 months 
        after such vacancy occurs and no later than 6 months before a 
        general election for Attorney General of Guam, and by 
        appointment by the Governor of Guam pending a special election 
        under this subparagraph.''.

SEC. 3. LEGISLATIVE QUORUM.

    Section 12 of the Organic Act of Guam (48 U.S.C. 1423b) is amended 
by striking ``eleven'' and inserting ``a simple majority''.

SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION OF LEGISLATIVE POWER.

    The first sentence of section 11 of the Organic Act of Guam (48 
U.S.C. 1423a) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``rightful'' before ``subjects''; and
            (2) by striking ``legislation of local application'' and 
        inserting ``legislation''.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to amend the 
        Organic Act of Guam to clarify local executive and legislative 
        provisions in such Act, and for other purposes.''.
                                     

                                                 Union Calendar No. 427

105th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 2370

                          [Report No. 105-742]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To amend the Organic Act of Guam for the purposes of clarifying the 
      local judicial structure and the office of Attorney General.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 24, 1998

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed