The Guam Youth Congress on Nov. 15, 2025 approved a string of measures aimed at school safety, student health and youth participation.

The most consequential vote was the Guam Student Shield Safety Act of 2025, which the Legislature approved by roll call and which appropriates $1,000,000 from fiscal-year 2025 unobligated excess revenues to the Department of Public Works for purchase, installation, maintenance and reporting on safety barriers at school-bus stops across Guam. Vice Speaker Atoigui, who introduced the bill, told colleagues the funds will pay for permanent and temporary barriers and require the Department of Public Works to prioritize high-risk locations and report progress biannually. “We should not wait to see a child struck at a bus stop on the news,” he said in floor remarks urging passage.

The Youth Congress also approved a bill to add the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority to the list of agencies authorized to distribute free Guam Regional Transit Authority bus passes to people who lack reliable transportation. Representative Grace Ann Dela Cruz and Representative Teodosio, who presented the amendment, said adding the public hospital will help patients reach follow-up care including labs and rehabilitation that otherwise may be missed because of transportation barriers.

Other measures passed include a juvenile-accountability statute and several bills aimed at strengthening youth representation, school recycling and public-health data:

Votes at a glance (final outcomes):
- Resolution 6-35 (opposition to mass grading/extraction at Lot 5412): Passed, 14 ayes, 0 nays. The body expressed opposition and urged relevant authorities to uphold a veto. (sponsor: Representative Charfers)
- Resolution 7-35 (opposition to Public Law 38-61 / Chamorro Land Trust lease amendment): Passed, 14 ayes, 0 nays. (sponsor: Representative Charfers)
- Bill 9-35, Guam Student Shield Safety Act of 2025 (appropriation $1,000,000 for bus-stop safety barriers): Passed, 14 ayes, 0 nays. (sponsor: Vice Speaker Atoigui)
- Bill 11-35 (include Guam Memorial Hospital Authority among agencies eligible to distribute free GRTA bus passes): Passed, 14 ayes, 0 nays. (presenter: Representative Teodosio)
- Bill 2-35, Juvenile Accountability and Parental Responsibility Act of 2025 (new penalties and intervention measures for juvenile offenses tied to riots, disorderly conduct and school-related violence): Passed, recorded 12 ayes, 2 nays. (sponsor: Speaker Fortuno)
- Bill 3-35 (youth representatives as ex officio nonvoting members of municipal planning councils): Passed, 14 ayes, 0 nays.
- Bill 8-35 (update Guam Youth Congress membership language; include charter schools): Passed, 14 ayes, 0 nays.
- Bill 10-35 (extend Youth Risk Behavior Survey to private and charter schools): Passed, 14 ayes, 0 nays.
- Bill 5-35 (School Waste Management and Recycling Support Act — receptacles and guidance for schools): Passed, 14 ayes, 0 nays.
- Bill 12-35 (designate Oct. 20 as Mayor’s Office Recognition Day; procedural amendment adopted on the floor): Passed, 14 ayes, 0 nays.

Floor debate and clarifications
Floor members asked for implementation details and cost estimates. On the Student Shield Safety Act, Vice Speaker Atoigui said a preliminary DPW price quote for a standard safety barrier was about $1,200 each but that final costs will depend on delivery, painting, installation and the DPW assessment of each site. On the juvenile-accountability bill, Speaker Fortuno said the statute mirrors existing provisions for criminal mischief and emphasized judicial discretion and school-level reporting thresholds: the sponsor said the statute would be triggered in reported incidents that lead to arrest and prosecution by the family division.

Why it matters
Lawmakers framed the package as preventive: barrier installations aim to protect students at morning and afternoon bus stops, the hospital-pass change is meant to reduce missed medical care due to transportation gaps, and the YRBS and recycling bills aim to improve data and long-term environmental habits among youth.

Next steps
Most measures were placed into the third‑reading file during the session and were adopted by roll call in the same meeting; implementation details — including DPW procurement and agency guidance for school recycling and YRBS expansion — will follow in agency rulemaking and administrative coordination.