Bill to Help First-Time Homeowners With Purchase Among 13 Measures Signed Into Law by Governor Bryan

A bill sponsored by Senator Kurt Vialet whose aim is to help first-time homebuyers with their purchase was among 13 bills signed into law by Governor Albert Bryan last week.

Mr. Bryan had vetoed two WAPA-related measures along with the 13 he approved, but those vetoes were overridden by the 34th Legislature earlier this month. Acting Governor Tregenza Roach sent a letter on Friday to Senate President Donna Frett-Gregory acknowledging the Legislature’s override of the vetoes.

Though he was pleased to sign the first-time homeowners measure into law, Mr. Bryan in his transmittal letter to the Senate noted that the 34th Legislature needed to add two crucial amendments to the bill. “The first is found in Title 21 section 10(2)(c) to set a time frame within which to repay the construction loans in the event that the construction is not completed or delayed and extended over many years,” he said. “The second is found at Title 21 section 9(a)(3) where the cap on home improvement loans was removed. Unless it was the intent of the 34th Legislature to not place a cap on home improvement loans, amendment of this section is much needed.”

Other measures signed into law:

Bill 34-0021, now Act 8471, sets the Virgin Islands Public Services Commission (PSC) as a semiautonomous agency; mandates the regulation of the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority by the PSC; and authorizes the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to hire a turnaround management company. Bill 34-0026, now Act 8472, relates to the makeup and the number of members of the WAPA Governing Board.

Regarding Bill No. 34-0077, which enables repayment of the 8% wages, Governor Bryan wrote in his transmittal letter to Senate Frett-Gregory: “I am most pleased that the Legislature picked up the effort set forth in my State of Territory Address and have approved Bill No. 34-0077, an Act amending Act No. 8365, the Fiscal Year 2021 Executive Budget, and Act No. 8348, the Legislature’s Fiscal Year 2021 Budget, to restore the 8% reduction in salaries to the employees of the Government of the Virgin Islands.”

However, the governor also noted that the bill still requires amendments needed for the inclusion of all employees affected by the salary reduction provided by Act No. 7261; appropriation of additional funds to cover these additional employees; and closure and termination of the VIESA Contingency Reserve Fund established by Act No. 7987 and which presently has no monies in it but has no sunset date.

The governor also thanked the 34th Legislature for working with his administration on passage of Bill No. 34-0071, which establishes the Virgin Islands Timeshare Act.