AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE "WELFARE ELIGIBILITY EMPOWERMENT ACT OF 2026"; REVERSING THE BURDEN OF PROOF FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE; MANDATING AUTOMATED INTER-AGENCY DATA VERIFICATION FOR SNAP, HUD, AND RELATED PROGRAMS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF GUAM:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act shall be known as the "Welfare Eligibility Empowerment Act of 2026."
SECTION 2. REVERSAL OF BURDEN OF PROOF.
(a) A legal presumption of eligibility is hereby established for any resident submitting a signed declaration of need for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, or HUD-funded programs.
(b) The burden of proof to demonstrate ineligibility rests solely upon the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) or GHURA.
(c) Provisional approval shall be granted within seven (7) business days of application, pending government verification.
SECTION 3. MANDATORY DATA INTEGRATION & AUTOMATED VERIFICATION.
(a) DRT, DOL, and DOA must provide DPHSS and GHURA real-time digital access to income, employment, and residency data.
(b) Agencies are prohibited from requesting physical documents if data is accessible through internal government records.
(c) Any document submitted to one Government of Guam agency is deemed "on file" for all public assistance eligibility purposes for twelve (12) months.
SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect ninety (90) days after enactment.