An update tonight on the controversy surrounding substitute Bill 206, with Senator Sabrina Salas Matanane saying changes are already in the works even before the bill is signed into law.

With substitute Bill 206 awaiting action from Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, Sen. Salas Matanane stated in a press release issued this morning that she and eight of her senatorial colleagues are prepared to introduce amendments the moment it’s enacted.

The bill, authored by Senator Telo Taitague, is intended to address Guam’s physician shortage, but its substitute version has drawn scrutiny after incorporating provisions similar to the governor’s separate measure, Bill No. 294.

Salas Matanane says Bill 294 never received a public hearing and that the combined bill was moved forward on under the assumption it had been vetted.

Local physicians later raised concerns saying they had not seen the final version or had a chance to weigh in.

Committee on Health Chair Senator Salas Matanane says she then attempted to send the bill back to her committee for review, but that effort failed.

She formally asked the governor to veto the bill, but Governor Leon Guerrero says she's proceeding with signing, while acknowledging changes are needed.

Those fixes, according to Salas Matanane, will focus on patient protections, licensing standards, and expanding access across both public and private healthcare.

She says the goal is not to block qualified doctors, but to ensure the process is transparent and the final law works for the entire island.