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CUC board reinstatement, initiative on Article 12 among 15 introduced or passed measures
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Posted on Sep 16 2011
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter
Reporter
The House of Representatives introduced and/or passed 15 measures yesterday, including a bill reinstating a Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board of directors and an initiative asking voters whether they want to repeal or continue Article 12 of the NMI Constitution.
Article 12 restricts land ownership to persons of Northern Marianas descent.
The House introduced 10 bills or from House Bills 17-206 to 17-225, one local bill, and one initiative. Members also passed three House bills.
Among the bills passed:
-HB 17-144, by Rep. Ray Yumul (R-Saipan), seeks to officially establish a CNMI Veterans Cemetery.
-HB 17-214, by Rep. Stanley Torres (Ind-Saipan), strengthens the Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission.
-HB 17-7, also by Torres, creates a Second Marianas Political Status Commission to reexamine the CNMI’s political relationship with the United States.
The 12 bills/initiative/local bill introduced were:
-HB 17-206, by Yumul, authorizing the Department of Public Health to regulate private ambulance services, compliance and response time.
-HB 17-217, by House minority leader Joseph Deleon Guerrero, reducing the rebate tax.
-HB 17-218, by Yumul, allocating funds received pursuant to U.S. Public Law 110-229. This is the $150 CNMI education funding fee to be paid by employers for every foreign worker they hire.
-HB 17-219, by Rep. Joseph Palacios (R-Saipan), to create a CNMI Product Seal Act of 2011.
-HB 17-220, by floor leader George Camacho (Ind-Saipan), repealing in its entirety the Beneficiary Derivative Lawsuit Act or Public Law 17-51.
-HB 17-221, by Rep. Joseph Palacios, establishing a Government Employee’s Self-Insurance Fund.
-HB 17-222, also by Camacho, reinstating a CUC board of directors.
-HB 17-223, by Rep. Teresita Santos (Ind-Rota), amending the qualifications for the position of a resident director for the Rota Health Center.
-HB 17-225, by Rep. Tony Sablan (R-Saipan), seeking to provide resident workers with the same benefits given to nonresident workers.
