House OKs CNMI Scholarship Office as autonomous agency

After almost an hour of debate, the House of Representatives passed with amendment late yesterday afternoon a Senate bill establishing a new CNMI Scholarship Office as an autonomous agency and not under the governor’s office, purportedly to remove “political influence” in the scholarship process. It was one of the 11 bills passed and five committee reports adopted during the House session from morning to afternoon yesterday.

The CNMI Scholarship Office Act of 2013 bill passed the House by a vote of 15-2 at 4:30pm yesterday.

The two “no” votes were from Reps. George Camacho (R-Saipan) and Felicidad Ogumoro (R-Saipan).

Senate Bill 18-31, Senate Substitute 1, Senate Draft 1, House Draft 2 now goes back to the Senate. The bill’s author, Sen. Pete Reyes (Ind-Saipan), attended the House session.

Reyes’ bill repeals Executive Order 94-3 and establishes the CNMI Scholarship Office as an autonomous agency governed by a board of directors authorized to make policy decision regarding the scholarship program and promulgate rules to implement the program.

Rep. Roman Benavente (Ind-Saipan) offered a floor amendment that members adopted. Reyes said he believes the House-amended bill would pass the Senate and would be on its way to the governor’s desk.

The House passed 10 others bills, including Rep. Christopher Leon Guerrero’s (Cov-Saipan) House Bill 18-87, establishing the offense of abuse of authority/issuance of unlawful orders. The bill passed by a vote of 19-0 at 2:07pm.

By a vote of 19-0, House members also passed at 2:20pm Rep. Tony Sablan’s (Ind-Saipan) HB 18-140, amending Public Law 17-43 to give the Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority the power to adopt rules in furtherance of its duties.

House members also passed by a vote of 19-0 at 2:21pm Leon Guerrero’s HB 18-129, HD1, changing the penalty for driving without a license from a crime to an infraction.

At 2:32pm, the House passed by a 19-0 vote HB 18-134, also by Leon Guerrero, allowing the House and Senate sergeant-at-arms to carry weapons, among other things.

Five minutes later, the House passed also by a vote of 19-0 Rep. Ralph Yumul’s (Ind-Saipan) HB 18-123, HD2, providing the expenditure authority of the Judiciary with 50 percent reprogramming authority of the funds appropriated to the Judicial branch under the fiscal year 2014 budget.

By a vote also of 19-0, the House passed at 2:39pm Rep. Tony Sablan’s (Ind-Saipan) HB 18-125, HD1, increasing the salary of the secretaries of the departments of Community and Cultural Affairs and Commerce from $48,000 to $54,000, and the Finance secretary from $54,000 to $60,000.

At 2:41pm, the House approved by a vote of 19-0 Rep. Teresita Santos’ (R-Rota) HB 18-131 amending PL 17-91 to reprogram funds for the construction of a concrete wall, concrete road and retaining wall at the Rota water cave.

Members also passed by a vote of 19-0 SB 18-38, giving the Department of Lands and Natural Resources authority over recently conveyed submerged lands, and to establish by law the preservation, protection and maintenance of public access of Managaha. The bill, which passed at 3:10pm, now goes to the governor.

At 3:31pm, HB 18-65 also passed by a vote of 19-0. Santos’ bill designates 2 hectares of public land on Rota for the future site of a Rota public cemetery.

Six minutes later, the House passed by a vote of 18-1 HB 18-89, HD1, establishing the offense of obstruction or interference with a court order or subpoena, among other things.

Committee reports

At its session in the morning, the House debated at length committee reports including that on HB 18-41, requiring all commercial businesses within the CNMI—mostly hotels—to be connected to the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. power grid.

The committee report was adopted at 11:12am, but will be acted on in the next session, set for Thursday.

The House also adopted at 11:50am a committee report on HB 18-121, requiring individuals to undergo testing for illegal drugs prior to running for public office. The House is expected to act on the bill tomorrow.

The House also adopted the committee report on HB 18-152, for possible action also tomorrow. The bill requires mandatory drug testing of elected public officials. Two other committee reports were adopted.