COMMITTEE ON BUDGET, APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE 
 
 
BILL NO. 
36-0047 
 
Thirty-Sixth Legislature of the Virgin Islands 
 
 
 
March 28, 2025 
 
 
 
An Act amending Act No. 8920 to appropriate $25,000,000 from the Southern Trust Company 
Settlement Fund to pay retroactive wages for retired and active government employees and for 
other purposes 
 
 
 
PROPOSED BY: 
 
 
Senators Novelle E. Francis, Jr., Clifford A. Joseph, Sr.,  
Milton E. Potter, Kurt A. Vialet, and Marvin A. Blyden 
 
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands: 
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SECTION 1.  Act No. 8920 is amended as follows: 
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(a) 
strike sections 5, 15 and 19; 
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(b) 
in section 6, strike “$20,000,000” and insert “$10,000,000”; 
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(c) 
in section 12, strike “STC Settlement Fund” and insert “Mental Health 
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Survivor Fund”; 
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(d) 
in section 13, strike "$5,000,000" and insert "$4,000,000”; 
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(e) 
in section 17: 
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(1) 
strike "$3,400,000" and insert "$1,980,000";  
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(2) 
strike "$2,000,000" and insert "$1,080,000"; and  
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(3) 
strike "$1,400,000" and insert "$900,000"; 
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(f) 
in section 18, subsection (a), strike “$400,000” and insert “$500,000”. 
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SECTION 2.  (a)  The sum of $22,000,000 is appropriated from the Southern Trust 
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Company Settlement Fund (“STC Settlement Fund”) to the Office of Management and Budget 
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in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, for retroactive payments owed to survivors of 
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deceased retired government employees, retired government employees, and active 
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government employees.  The payments must be paid no later than May 30, 2025. 
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(b) 
The sum of $6,000,000 is appropriated from the STC Settlement Fund to the 
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Department of Finance to pay the outstanding debt owed to Pafford Medical Services by the 
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Department of Health and the Virgin Islands Fire and Emergency Medical Services. 
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(c) 
The sum of $5,000,000 is appropriated from the STC Settlement Fund to Virgin 
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Islands Waste Management Authority for wastewater services and outstanding vendor 
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payments to solid waste haulers. 
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(d) 
The sum of $2,000,000 is appropriated from the STC Settlement Fund to purchase 
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medical and surgical supplies as follows: 
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(1) 
$1,000,000 to the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center (JFL); 
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and 
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(2) 
$1,000,000 to the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital (RLS). 
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(e) 
The sum of $1,600,000 is appropriated from the STC Settlement Fund to the 
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Department of Human Services for renovation, staffing, and supplies for the expansion of the 
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Herbert Grigg Home For the Aged as follows: 
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(1) 
$400,000 in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025; and 
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(2) 
$1,000,000 in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026. 
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(f) 
The sum of $5,000,000 is appropriated from the STC Settlement Fund to the Virgin 
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Islands Port Authority for renovations and enhancement of the Ann Abramson Pier and 
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adjacent areas to include Frederiksted beach.  The Port Authority must submit the plan to the 
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President of the Legislature within 120 days of enactment. 
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(g) 
The sum of $10,000,000 is appropriated from the STC Settlement Fund to the 
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Office of Management and Budget for the purchase of a management system for JFL and RLS. 
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Invoices are to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget to be processed for 
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payment.  Both JFL and RLS shall submit: 
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(a) 
a comprehensive austerity plan to the Governor and the President of the 
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Legislature no later than 30 days after passage of this act; 
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(b) 
a professional development plan for use of the management system no later 
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than 30 days after passage of this act; and 
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(c) 
a plan that improves the billing system and collection of Medicare, Medical 
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Assistance Program payments and other insurance with clear processes for 
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documentation, coding and processing. 
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SECTION 3.  The sum of $7,000,000 utilized by the Government of the Virgin Islands 
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for vendor payments must be redeposited into the STC Settlement Fund by September 30, 
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2026. 
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BILL SUMMARY 
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Section 1 amends various sections of Act No. 8920. 
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Section appropriates funds the Southern Trust Company Settlement Fund to pay 
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retroactive wages for retired and active government employees and survivors of deceased 
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retired government employees, outstanding debt owed to Pafford Medical Services, 
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outstanding vendor payments to solid waste haulers, Fund to purchase medical and surgical 
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supplies, the expansion of the Herbert Grigg Home For the Aged, renovations and enhancement 
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of the Ann Abramson Pier and adjacent areas to include Frederiksted beach, and the purchase 
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of a management system for the Juan F. Luis and Roy L. Schneider Hospitals. 
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Section 3 mandates the Government of the Virgin Islands to reimburse the SIC 
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Settlement Fund of $7,000,000 utilized for vendor payments by September 30, 2026. 
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BR25-0187/February 21, 2025/PFA/Revised/March 24, 2025/PFA 
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