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Bill OK’d to remove 3-day waiting period for appropriation bills
Acting governor Victor Hocog last week signed a bill to void the three-day waiting period lawmakers had to wait before acting on appropriation bills.
Senate Bill 19-62 is now Public Law 19-34 and was signed into law last Feb. 16.
The Local Law Act of 1983 requires all local bills, except for poker fee appropriations and gaming appropriations for Tinian and Rota, to lie in the upper or lower house for three legislative days after introduction before acted on by local delegations.
But the Legislature finds that “this requirement can delay critical appropriations” of local revenues for purposes like retirement benefits, scholarships, and medical referrals.
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres also signed on Feb. 11 a local bill to appropriate $2 million from funds allotted to Rota under the Saipan casino law.
Rota Local Law 19-08 moves $1.54 million to the payment of 25 percent retirement cut restoration for Rota retirees and their survivors; $250,000 to employment under the Rota Mayor’s Office; $50,000 to Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation for an unspecified payment owed to the delegation; $100,000 to the operations of the Rota Mayor’s Office; $11,5000 for payments and repairs for Rota Department of Public Safety vehicles; and $15,000 to cover the cost of the 2016 Little League District Tournament on Tinian, among several other appropriations.
