The bill, introduced by Tina Rose Mua-Barnes and referred to the Committee on September 1, 2026, aims to amend various sections of the Guam Code Annotated to enhance conservation law enforcement within the Department of Agriculture. Key amendments include increasing the maximum penalty for violations from $1,000 to $10,000 per count, where a count refers to each individual act of violation involving natural resources. Additionally, the bill establishes a new penalty structure that ensures fines are sufficient to deter unlawful activities and are proportionate to the harm caused. It also mandates that all collected fines and penalties be allocated to specific funds to support conservation efforts and enforcement activities.

The bill introduces a new section, 63130A, which creates the Natural Resource Enforcement Fund, a non-lapsing fund dedicated to supporting enforcement-related purposes such as personnel training, equipment acquisition, and community outreach programs. This fund will consist of all fines, penalties, and forfeitures collected under the Department's Citation Program Fine Schedule. Furthermore, the Director of the Department of Agriculture is tasked with administering this fund and providing annual reports to the legislature detailing its revenues and expenditures. Overall, the bill seeks to strengthen the enforcement of conservation laws in Guam, ensuring that penalties for violations are meaningful and that enforcement agencies are adequately funded.

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