Governor Calvo Previously Weighed in on Similar Sex Abuse Statute Bill

By Janela Carrera
Pacific News Center
September 20, 2016

http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/local/10908


Governor Eddie Calvo has until Friday, September 23, to take action on bill 326.

Guam - There has still been no action on bill 326 from Governor Eddie Calvo, who has until Friday to take action; however, this would not be the first time the governor has had to take action on a similar measure.

Similar legislation was passed in 2011 for civil action on child sex abuse. It was authored by Vice Speaker BJ Cruz and it lifted the statute of limitations for a period of two years.

However, because the bill was essentially gutted on the session floor, the version that passed into law made it difficult for attorneys to pursue cases because failure could cost them their license.

When Governor Eddie Calvo signed the bill into public law 31-07 back in 2011, in his signing message, he said “I initially had concerns about the version of the bill as originally introduced because it included language which took the focus away from individual sex offenders and instead sought to involve further removed institutions and organizational entities.”

Fortunately, the governor wrote, the legislature amended the bill on the session floor in “appropriate ways.”

Governor Calvo went on to say “I am enacting this law solely and exclusively given, and subject to, the interpretation that institutions, agencies, firms, businesses, corporations, or other private and public entities may not be named as parties in any way in civil actions which otherwise could not be filed if not for this legislation."