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Committee proposes additional funding for Medical Referral
Donald Manglona
The full Senate is expected to adopt in a special session today, Monday, the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee’s proposed changes in the House of Representatives’ bill that would revise the budget law for the CNMI government’s operations for fiscal year 2023.
Senate President Edith E. DeLeon Guerrero (D-Saipan) set a special session for today at 10:30am in the Senate chamber to tackle the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee’s proposed changes in the budget bill revision (House Bill 23-31, House Substitute 1, Senate Substitute 1).
In response to Saipan Tribune’s inquiry, Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee chair Sen. Donald M. Manglona (Ind-Rota) said yesterday that the major changes that they proposed are funding to Rota, Tinian, and Executive Branch operations.
Manglona said they also proposed an additional $1.2-million budget for Medical Referral, which is $200,000 more what the House had proposed.
Last March 17, the House unanimously passed House Bill 23-31, House Substitute 1, which would repeal and re-enact the budget law for FY 2023 (Public Law 22-22). House Ways and Means Committee chair Rep. Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan) is the author of the legislation.
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios earlier asked the Legislature to revise the fiscal year 2023 budget, noting that just after the first quarter of fiscal year 2023, a large portion of the funds from the American Rescue Plan Act that were available for appropriation in fiscal year 2023 have already been expended and are no longer available for the rest of fiscal year 2023.
