Overview:
After two days of conference committee talks, Palau’s Senate and House of Delegates have reportedly reached a compromise on the long-delayed supplemental budget — clearing the way for a final vote as soon as today. The bill still needs President Whipps’ signature before it takes effect.
By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang
NGERULMUD, Palau (July 2, 2026) — Lawmakers are closing in on a compromise supplemental budget after two days of conference committee negotiations aimed at reconciling differences between the Senate and House of Delegates, with a final version expected to be approved as early as today.
The supplemental budget would fund residential electricity subsidies, boost funding for the Bureau of School Operations and the Bureau of Public Safety, and finance the Belau Games, among dozens of other allocations across roughly 25 government bureaus, agencies, loan payments and state funding needs.
The Office of the President, the Senate and the House of Delegates (HOD) had already agreed on about 11 funding items and reached consensus on several agencies that would not receive additional funding this cycle. The remaining items were where the three versions diverged, prompting the conference committee process.
The path to compromise began after the Senate rejected an HOD attempt to attach the supplemental budget as a rider to the Elite Visa Bill. The Senate then passed its own version of the supplemental budget, based on a proposal from President Surangel Whipps Jr. The HOD amended that bill, adjusting funding amounts for various agencies while leaving many Senate figures unchanged, and returned it to the Senate for final approval.
The Senate rejected the HOD’s amended version in an 8-4 vote.
Ways & Means Chairman Sen. Mark Rudimch urged colleagues to reject the bill and send it to conference. “We do agree with most of what the delegates proposed. However, there are a few numbers for which we are unaware of the reasons behind the proposed amounts,” Rudimch said. “It is only right to go to a conference so we may face our House colleagues and iron out the differences.”
Sen. Secilil Eldebechel warned the conference process could slow down funding for critical services. “While I will respect the decision of the majority, there will always be delays due to our differences which might make the process lengthy,” he said.
A conference committee convened the day after the Senate vote, according to Rudimch. Over the following two days, lawmakers from both chambers worked to reconcile the competing versions, and sources familiar with the negotiations say a compromise has been reached.
Island Times requested the final, compromise version of the bill, but it had not been publicly released as of publication. Sources say Congress is expected to approve the compromise version today. Once both chambers pass identical language, the bill will still need to go to President Whipps for his action before it becomes law.
HEADLINES
Print: Congress Nears Deal on Supplemental Budget After Two-Day Conference
Online/SEO: Palau Lawmakers Reach Compromise on Supplemental Budget After Two Days of Talks — Bill Heads to Whipps Next
