FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (July 20, 2021 – Hagåtña, Guam) Speaker Therese Terlaje and the Committee on Land is requiring expanded benefit to Guam from the lease of submerged land and seashore for undersea fiber optic cables going forward.  Current Guam submerged land leases for fiber optic cables are inconsistently valued, and Speaker Terlaje’s Committee on Land is proposing that Guam’s lease rates be more in line with global prices. Despite a task force to diversify Guam’s economy and another one tasked to make recommendations concerning submarine cables on Guam, formal recommendations and plans from GEDA are still in the early stages.

In the meantime, Speaker Terlaje has proposed that the CLTC maintain its jurisdiction of the submerged lands in Alupang Bay, and that the previously proposed license of a corridor for submerged cables be raised to a rate of no less than $100,000 per cable per year, up to 6 cables. This is in stark contrast to the $5,000 per year currently received for the Piti submerged land lease including 4 cables, and the $15,000 originally proposed by GTA to CLTC for the lease of submerged land in Alupang Bay.

Guam is in a valuable position, serving as a U.S. law-based fiber optic cable hub for cables running from the U.S. to Asia and throughout the Pacific. “Though global data is extremely hard to find, I looked to the testimony provided at the hearing and researched California and Australia, and other places where I could access the rates global companies were being charged to hook into existing infrastructure or run submerged cables.  I think the rate of $100,000 per cable represents a much fairer amount for the people of Guam.   I want this to be a minimum baseline for similar leases going forward while Guam works to benefit even more from its position as a telecommunications hub, through the planning and development of data center and island wide telecommunication infrastructure and ensuring affordable, efficient power to support the industry,” stated Speaker Terlaje.

For example, in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, the city invested millions to lay conduit and landing station to accommodate cable connections to global network providers and to ensure a 10Gb-a-second fibre optic network throughout the city for high speed, high performance data network to commercial strips and residents.

Speaker Terlaje’s Committee on Land today substituted and reported out a substitute version of Bill No. 36-36, which was originally introduced by Senator Joe San Agustin. Substitute Bill No. 36-36 (COR) is an Act to authorize a commercial submerged land license agreement between the government of Guam, specifically, the Chamorro Land Trust Commission, and Teleguam Holdings LLC, doing business as GTA, for the purpose of landing submarine cables at Alupang, Tamuning, Guam.” In addition to the significantly higher fees being mandated, the substitute version of the Bill would direct proceeds exclusively to the CLTC Surveying and Infrastructure Fund, and would ensure that environmental risks are avoided or mitigated through full environmental, seashore, and other permitting processes.

Speaker Terlaje stated, “I tried hard to ensure that this lease would be used to expand CLTC’s residential lease program to take care of the 8,000 who applied since 1995, and that it would not harm any coral, fish or marine mammal species or interfere with recreational activity as this is an active fishing ground and recreational area. The substitute bill requires strict permitting review and other environmental approvals.”

Please see the letter from Speaker Therese Terlaje to Senator James C. Moylan regarding his request for an Emergency Session for Bill No. 75-36 (COR).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (July 5, 2021 – Hagåtña, Guam) In response to statements made by Physicians in a meeting held today, Speaker Therese Terlaje has issued the following statement.

“We need to stick to facts, not fear. Physicians have a big voice and great influence in our community and It is truly disheartening that some of the discussion on this bill has crossed a line into threats against patients, name calling and outright misinformation.

The people of Guam deserve the facts and a safe space to have meaningful dialogue about their healthcare and their rights as patients.  I want to share the facts about the bill and to encourage everyone to watch or attend the upcoming public hearings to decide how the proposal might impact their lives or how they can contribute to the discussion productively.  I continue to welcome the doctors and patients to attend the hearings or to meet with me. 

There are several doctors who are very vocal who have canceled meetings or told me they would be in Hawaii and could not meet, while some never requested to meet with me and are demanding I “finally” meet with them.  My door remains open and I will continue to discuss this with doctors and patients.

I am trying to ensure that all in our community can participate, ask questions, and be heard.”

Bill 112-36 is intended to address those harmed by medical negligence who cannot afford approximately $40-50K for mandatory arbitration while ensuring confidential screening and protection of doctors against frivolous claims. The bill proposes to allow arbitration at reduced costs as agreed to by the parties and to enact a case screening system through a magistrate judge for those who do not agree to costly arbitration. Under the current law, costs of mandatory arbitration have deterred the filing of claims by those who cannot afford the upfront expenses, in addition to only having one year to raise the funds and file a claim.

Public Hearings on Wednesday, July 7th and Monday, July 12th at 5:00 p.m. -8:30 p.m.

Medical professionals and the public are invited to submit testimony on the bill on July 7th or July 12th at the Guam Congress Building or via Zoom. Those interested in presenting written or verbal testimony should contact the Office of Speaker Therese Terlaje at (671) 472-3586 or senatorterlajeguam@gmail.com by July 6, 2021.

All hearings will be broadcast on GTA TV Channel 21, Docomo Channel 117/112.4, and via Guam Legislature Media on Youtube. Recordings of the hearings will be available on the Guam Legislature Media YouTube Channel after the hearings.

All documents submitted relative to Bill 112-36 will be available at senatorterlaje.com. Reports on three hearings held during the 35th Guam Legislature on MMMAA can be found at https://guamlegislature.com/35th_comm_report.htm.

The bipartisan Bill 112 was sponsored by Therese M. Terlaje, Telo T. Taitague, Joanne Brown, Joe S. San Agustin, V. Anthony Ada, Telena C. Nelson, Christopher M. Duenas, Clynton E. Ridgell, Amanda L. Shelton, Jose Pedo Terlaje, and Sabina F. Perez.

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For more information, please contact Speaker Therese M. Terlaje’s office at (671) 472-3586 or via e-mail at senatorterlajeguam@gmail.com.