Houses eases ban on hiring of guest workers Move aims to prevent disruption in OPA services

The House of Representatives yesterday passed legislation that will permit the Office of Public Auditor to continue hiring nonresident workers for its professional staff beyond the Sept. 30, 2000 deadline imposed by an initial law.

Legislators said the measure is necessary to prevent disruption of services being provided by OPA as a mass layoff could occur within the agency because many of its employees are nonresidents who will be barred to work there once their current contract ends.

Under HB 12-182, the exemption previously granted by lawmakers will be extended “until such time as sufficient professionals in the field of accounting or auditing are available locally,” it said.

The proposal, offered by House Floor Leader Oscar M. Babauta, will also allow OPA to grant compensation packages beyond the ceiling previously established in the Compensation Adjustment Act.

This is important in order for OPA to continue its services, according to the report prepared jointly by the House Committees on Judicial and Government Operations as well as Commerce and Tourism.

They said the agency needs to attract and retain professionals and mitigate the effect of the restriction against engaging in any other business, profession or government office that is being applied to its current employees. 

In a bid to assure that locals will eventually fill the positions being occupied by foreigners, the bill will require OPA to actively monitor the progress of students who are receiving financial assistance from the government.

“We hope that in not so distant future, sufficient numbers of local residents will be available to fill these positions,” the report said.

During committee deliberation, members inserted a provision that will make it a crime for any OPA employee or person privy to a preliminary or draft audit report to disclose the findings to anyone not included in the report’s distribution list.

A violation will be punishable by imprisonment of up to six months and/or a fine of not more than $1,000, according to the measure.

HB 12-174 now heads to the Senate where a separate House proposal is pending that will seek to extend by five more years the sunset provisions of the law prohibiting employment of foreign workers in some departments and agencies.

HB 12-285 will amend Public Law 10-4 which provided for the exemptions for some of the entities to extend the authority to hire nonresident workers to 2005. The ban took effect last Sept. 30.

Aside from OPA, the Department of Public Health, Department of Public Works, Northern Marianas College, Commonwealth Utilities Corp. and the Department of Commerce are expected to benefit from the proposal.

But senators are likely to re-draft the measure to remove OPA and the commerce department from exemption, noting there are locals who can replace their alien workers.