By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
GOVERNOR David M. Apatang on Monday approved House Bill 24-82, amending the revised fiscal year 2026 budget law to give the Legislature 273 days to establish its own financial system.
Authored by Rep. John Paul Sablan, H.B. 24-82 — passed by both the House and the Senate in separate emergency sessions on New Year’s Eve — is now Public Law 24-21.
Public Law 24-20, also known as the Revised Appropriation and Budget Authority Act of 2026, created the Legislature Operations Fund, which requires the Legislature to establish its own bank accounts. Under the law, all debts, liabilities, obligations and operational expenses of the legislative branch must be paid from the fund.
Finance Secretary Tracy B. Norita, in a Dec. 29, 2025 memorandum to Legislative Bureau Director Perry Tenorio, stressed the need to uphold the department’s constitutional duty by requiring the Legislative Bureau to develop and implement its own financial systems, rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
In his response, Tenorio said that independent banking arrangements, internal controls, accounting systems, procurement processes, reporting capacity, staffing resources and internal frameworks do not currently exist within the Legislative Bureau at the scale required by law.
He said immediate full operational separation from the Department of Finance’s financial system “would therefore pose a substantial risk of interruption to payroll, member allowances, vendor payments and other essential legislative functions.”
Tenorio requested that the House and Senate amend the revised budget law to provide an implementation period and additional budgetary authority needed to hire staff and procure systems required by law, as well as clarity and resources necessary for sustainable compliance.
Public Law 24-21 requires the Department of Finance to work collaboratively with the Legislative Bureau and members of the Legislature to implement Section 704(k) of the revised budget law that created the Legislature Operations Fund “over a period not to exceed 273 calendar days.”
During this period, the law states, “there shall be no disruptions in the financial obligations and payments of the Legislative Branch.” Finance is required to continue processing and making payments related to all obligations, debts, allocations, expenditures and operations of the legislative branch.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
