(a) The order of succession, consisting of the officers who shall be eligible in the order named, to serve as Acting Governor upon the temporary disability or temporary absence of both the Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be the Speaker or Acting Speaker of the Guam Legislature. While serving as Acting Governor, a person so authorized shall have all the powers of the Governor.

(b) The order of succession, consisting of the officers who shall be eligible in the order named, to serve as Acting Lieutenant Governor upon the temporary disability or temporary absence of the Governor [and] the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the Guam Legislature shall be the Vice Speaker or the Acting Speaker. While serving as Acting Lieutenant Governor, a person

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5 Guam Code Ann. GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
CH. 1 OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

so authorized shall have all the powers of Lieutenant Governor.

SOURCE: GC § 5000, as amended by P.L. 13-086:2 (Nov. 3, 1975). Amended by P.L. 15-074:2 (Oct. 24, 1979).

NOTE: The original § 5000 enacted by P.L. 1-088 Nov. 29, 1952), addressing the duties of the Secretary of Guam, was repealed by P.L. 13-
114:1 (Dec. 13, 1975).

COMMENT: In subsection (b), the word and is substituted by the Compiler because the original or makes no sense in view of §8(e) of the Organic Act. That §8(e) permits the laws of Guam to regulate succession only when both the Governor and Lieutenant Governor are temporarily absent or disabled. If only the Governor is absent or disabled, then the Organic Act provides, in §8(a), that the Lieutenant Governor becomes Acting Governor. Further, §8(c) of the Organic Act provides for the situation when only the Lieutenant Governor is absent or disabled temporarily. Therefore, this law can only cover the situation where both Governor and Lieutenant Governor are temporarily absent or disabled.