House to kill 3-year limit law • Lower chamber moves today to stop exodus of alien workers in 2002

Growing public clamor to repeal a law that restricts the stay of nonresident workers in the Northern Marianas to three years may already be in sight.

The House of Representatives will deliberate today on a proposed measure that will completely repeal the three-year limit law, or which Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio signed as Public Law 11-69.

House Floor Leader Rep. Oscar M. Babauta even went as far into saying that “Public Law 11-69 is dead, not it all depends on the Senate.” He was referring to a possible action that may be taken by the House today on the law’s repealer.

Introduced by Rep. Malua T. Peter, the bill said the three-year limit on nonresident workers imposed by Public Law 11-69 has created an economic hardship to the Commonwealth business community.

It also acknowledged the contributions of nonresident workers in the CNMI. More specifically, the bill reads: “nonresident workers continue to play a major role in the economic development of the Northern Marianas.”

The bill also signified that it is in the economic interest of the Commonwealth to repeal the three-year limit imposed y Public Law 11-69.

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce, the Hotel Association, the Saipan Garments Manufacturer’s Association and the Contractors Association, along with other business groups throughout the CNMI, have come out in full support to stay the complete implementation of the three-year limit law.

“Not only do we need to consider the loyalty of nonresident workers and how they’ve contributed immensely to our economy, we should also take into account the resources companies expend whenever they hire new contract workers,” Mr. Babauta noted.

He was referring to the documentation needed to get the same nonresident workers after their three-year contracts are over, provided they stayed out of the Commonwealth for six months as the law stipulates.

CNMI-based companies have no recourse but to tap overseas workers due to the limited labor pool on the islands.

Asked whether the move to repeal the three-year limit signals the CNMI’s backtracking on its promise to the federal government to minimize its dependence on nonresident workers, Mr. Babauta claimed that the hiring of contract workers is also now being done by the mainland.

He said businesses in the mainland US have advertised openings for over half a million nonresident workers. If it could happen in the states, why not here in the CNMI, the lawmaker argued.

Senate Bill 11-71, which became PL 11-69 in March 1999, forces nonresident workers to leave the Commonwealth after three consecutive years of employment in the CNMI. They can only apply for reemployment after a six-month period.

PL 11-69 envelopes all nonresident workers in the islands, except for those holding professional or executive positions earning an annual salary of at least $30,000.

The law defined professionals as those receiving more than $30,000 in annual compensation; those who are in fields requiring advanced training or original or creative work that is artistic; those who are engaged in teaching, dental, medical, nursing and other medical professions.