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Bill would require foreign workers to have DOL IDs
A new bill seeks to require all nonresident workers in the CNMI to have Department of Labor ID cards.
House Bill 20-68, authored by Rep. Blas Jonathan “BJ” Attao (Ind-Saipan), seeks to implement the ID system to enable the Labor Department to regulate issues pertaining to foreign workers.
The proposal requires U.S. Department of Homeland Security authorization.
“Currently we do not have the authority to implement this [ID system],” said Rep. Ivan Blanco (R-Saipan), who chairs the Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee that is reviewing the bill.
“This bill, subject to DHS approval, will require employers to register their employees with the DOL office,” said Blanco.
He said their goal is to pass the bill first before asking DHS to authorize it.
HB 20-68, if passed, will allow Labor to impose on employers at least $50 for each nonimmigrant worker ID card.
About 70 percent of the new non-immigration worker ID fund would go to Labor for enforcing laws related to non-immigrant workers and maintaining records and files of all non-immigrant workers.
The remaining 30 percent will be funneled to the Department of Commerce Central Statistics Division for the purpose of filing and recording all data from employers who hire non-immigrant workers.
If passed into law, employers that fail to comply with the requirements will be subject to a $100 fine per employee per position.
Blanco recommends that the House of Representatives pass the bill at the next House session.
“We first want to pass the bill with the language that is subject to [DHS] approval and seek [DHS] assistance with it,” said Blanco, adding that representatives of DHS divisions such as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services “were open to work with the CNMI on the enforcement of work programs, including immigration, tourist visitors and whatnot.”
“We’d like to take up their offer to work with us,” Blanco said.
