§1421g. Establishment and maintenance of public bodies and offices

(a) Public health services

Subject to the laws of Guam, the Governor shall establish, maintain, and operate public-health services in Guam, including hospitals, dispensaries, and quarantine stations, at such places in Guam as may be necessary, and he shall promulgate quarantine and sanitary regulations for the protection of Guam against the importation and spread of disease.

(b) Public educational system

The Government of Guam shall provide an adequate public educational system of Guam, and to that end shall establish, maintain, and operate public schools according to the laws of Guam.

(c) Office of Public Prosecutor; Office of Public Auditor

The Government of Guam may by law establish an Office of Public Prosecutor and an Office of Public Auditor. The Public Prosecutor and Public Auditor may be removed as provided by the laws of Guam.

(d) Attorney General

(1) The Attorney General of Guam shall be the Chief Legal Officer of the Government of Guam. At such time as the Office of the Attorney General of Guam shall next become vacant, the Attorney General of Guam shall be appointed by the Governor of Guam with the advice and consent of the legislature, and shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor of Guam.

(2) Instead of an appointed Attorney General, the legislature may, by law, provide for the election of the Attorney General of Guam by the qualified voters of Guam in general elections after 1998 in which the Governor of Guam is elected. The term of an elected Attorney General shall be 4 years. The Attorney General may be removed by the people of Guam according to the procedures specified in section 1422d of this title or may be removed for cause in accordance with procedures established by the legislature in law. A vacancy in the office of an elected Attorney General shall be filled-

(A) by appointment by the Governor of Guam if such vacancy occurs less than 6 months before a general election for the Office of Attorney General of Guam; or

(B) by a special election held no sooner than 3 months after such vacancy occurs and no later than 6 months before a general election for Attorney General of Guam, and by appointment by the Governor of Guam pending a special election under this subparagraph.

(Aug. 1, 1950, ch. 512, §29, 64 Stat. 392 ; Pub. L. 99–396, §§5, 13, Aug. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 839 , 842; Pub. L. 105–291, §2, Oct. 27, 1998, 112 Stat. 2785 .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1998-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105–291 added subsec. (d).

1986-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99–396, §13(a)(1), substituted "according to the laws of Guam" for "at such places in Guam as may be necessary".

Pub. L. 99–396, §5, substituted "Government of Guam" for "Governor".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99–396, §13(a)(2), added subsec. (c).