THE Senate on Friday unanimously passed Senate Bill 23-17, which would prohibit the Department of Public Lands from revoking an approved village or agricultural homestead permit.
Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero, Senate Floor Leader Corina Magofna, Sen. Jude U. Hofschneider, Sen. Frank Q. Cruz, Sen. Paul A. Manglona and Sen. Karl King-Nabors voted to adopt the committee report and pass S.B. 23-17 as amended by the House of Representatives.
Authored by Cruz, S.B. 23-17 now goes to the governor — and not to the House of Representatives as earlier reported.
Senate Vice President Donald M. Manglona, Sen. Celina Babauta and Sen. Dennis Mendiola were excused.
According to the bill, there are homesteaders who have entered designated village lots, spent labor and money to remain in compliance with DPL’s homestead regulations, but during a three-year period, certain approved permits were revoked because the permittees subsequently acquired interest in land in the Commonwealth.
This, according to the bill, is contrary to the law, unreasonable and unjustified.
S.B. 23-17 would “specifically prohibit the DPL from revoking a village or agricultural lot permit after the permit was approved and issued, and the homesteader has complied with all the requirements, regardless whether the permittee acquires ‘interest in land’ in the Commonwealth.”
