Senate to Take Final Vote on Wide-Ranging Bills, Including GERS Reform and DUI Victim Support
A slate of high-impact bills is headed to the full Legislature for final consideration Friday after clearing the Senate Committee on Rules and Judiciary on Wednesday. Chaired by Sen. Carla Joseph, the committee unanimously advanced more than a dozen measures that touch nearly every corner of Virgin Islands life—from pension reform and disability savings to helicopter services, sanitation penalties, and child support for victims of DUI-related homicides.
2025-06-26 13:21:23 - VI News Staff
Among the most closely watched measures is Bill No. 36-0012, which seeks to streamline the Government Employees’ Retirement System’s (GERS) disability annuity approval process. The bill, sponsored by Senate President Milton Potter, would allow GERS to bypass its Medical Review Committee in straightforward cases where a certified medical professional has already determined an applicant to be disabled. The intent, according to the bill’s authors, is to reduce lengthy delays and financial hardship for retirees awaiting approval.
Another reform measure, Bill No. 36-0032, aims to limit the salary amount used to calculate retirement annuities for the governor and lieutenant governor. By capping the earnings figure factored into their pension benefits, lawmakers have said that the bill—sponsored by Sens. Kurt Vialet and Ray Fonseca—seeks to bring executive retirement packages more in line with public expectations and fiscal prudence.
Meanwhile, lawmakers gave the green light Wednesday to two lease agreements. One, Bill No. 36-0062, authorizes the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to use a portion of the telecommunications tower in Estate Nazareth, St. Thomas. The second, Bill No. 36-0098, allows Caribbean Buzz, LLC, to continue operations from the helipad at Estate Susannaberg on St. John, where it provides helicopter transport and emergency response services.