Sen. Manny Gregory T. Castro asks a question to Commonwealth Ports Authority Board Chairman Ramon A. Tebuteb (back to camera) as Senate Vice President Karl King-Nabors and Senate Floor Leader Donald Manglona listen during a bicameral conference committee meeting in the House chamber on Tuesday.
Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano
A BICAMERAL conference committee on Tuesday amended House Bill 24-17, which proposes to remove the restrictions in the use of Commonwealth Ports Authority funds.
Authored by Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez, H.B. 24-17 would suspend for five years the provision of Public Law 2-48 that restricts CPA from using seaport revenues for airport activities and airport income for seaport expenses.
During the joint committee hearing, CPA Board Chairman Ramon A. Tebuteb and acting comptroller Zack Diaz fielded questions from lawmakers.
When asked by Rep. John Paul Sablan if the enactment of the bill would hamper seaport operations, Tebuteb said no.
When asked by Senate Vice President Karl King-Nabors if the Senate amendment to the bill requiring the restoration of CPA employees’ 40-hour workweek does not deviate from the intent of the bill as originally drafted by the House, Tebuteb said, “I’m okay with it — it’s not going to deviate from the intent of the bill.”
Diaz told lawmakers that CPA is able to continue its discount program for airlines on terminal and landing fees by implementing austerity measures. “We’ve been in austerity since fiscal year 2021,” he added.
Toward the end of the hearing, the bicameral committee unanimously adopted the amendment offered by Rep. Blas Jonathan Attao.
The amendment states that during the five-year suspension of P.L. 2-48’s restriction, “all income, revenue, or funds of whatever nature arising out of or derived from activities in connection with or from the use of the seaports under the control of the Authority, may be transferred and expended for airport related activities; provided that any transfer and expenditure of seaport funds shall first be used to restore the regular full-time work hours of all employees of the Commonwealth Ports Authority and that any transfer or expenditure is completed in accordance with all applicable federal grant assurances, bond indentures, and other binding legal obligations.”
The members of the committee then agreed to adopt a report recommending the passage of H.B. 24-17.
Sablan said that the committee report will be ready in two days for the signatures of the Senate and House conferees.
