SENATE Vice President Justo S. Quitugua will be the presiding officer in the Senate special session scheduled for Friday, June 17, in the absence of Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider who is out of the Commonwealth this week.
The session is set to start at 1:30 p.m.
On the session calendar are Senate Bill 22-51 and House Bill 22-102, House Substitute 1, House Draft 1, both pushing for exemptions on the payment of the 1% public auditor fee.
S.B. 22-51 would exempt public corporations and autonomous agencies from paying the fee, while H.B. 22-102, HS1, HD1 specifically seeks to exempt the Commonwealth Ports Authority from paying the fee, with respect to airport revenues.
The amended House bill no longer includes the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation in the proposed exemption.
It also removed the sunset provision, and no longer requires the bill to expire five years from its enactment.
There has been much debate among lawmakers, CPA and OPA, regarding CPA’s claim that the fee could be considered revenue diversion by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Former Public Auditor Kina B. Peter said passing the measure without a definitive answer from the FAA regarding the revenue diversion issue “does not represent good governance.”
CPA, for its part, said the fee is an additional cost that will be passed on to its tenants or the traveling public.
Justo S. Quitugua
