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Yumul introduces bill to repeal FY 2023 budget law
Bill will give Palacios 50% reprogramming authority as the governor requested
Ralph N. Yumul
Rep. Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan) has introduced a bill that seeks to repeal and re-enact Public Law 22-22, or the fiscal year 2023 appropriations and budget law.
Yumul, who chairs the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, pre-filed House Bill 23-31 in order to make revised appropriations of local funds for the operations and activities of the CNMI government, its agencies, instrumentalities, and independent programs.
Yumul said this bill will provide revised budget authority for the government corporations for fiscal year 2023, starting from March 31, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2023.
The bill would also provide Gov. Arnold I. Palacios with up to 50% reprogramming authority for the departments, agencies, and offices of the Executive Branch. This authority shall not apply to funds appropriated to the Legislature or Judiciary, as well as to funds appropriated by the legislative delegations.
Palacios recently stated that he is the only governor in the CNMI who requested the least reprogramming authority at 50%.
Yumul is expected to formally introduce the legislation, cited as the Revised Appropriations and Budget Authority Act of 2023, during a House session this Friday at 3pm.
The House unanimously approved Monday House Concurrent Resolution 23-1 that basically agrees with the projected $116.19 million total local revenue and resources of the CNMI government that Palacios had identified as available for appropriation, to reflect proposed revisions to the fiscal year 2023 budget law, Public Law 22-22.
According to H.B. 23-31, pursuant to Concurrent Resolution 23-1, the total estimated gross budgetary resources for fiscal year 2023 is $164,198,068. Minus earmarks and transfers out in the total amount of $48,004,271, the total local revenue and resources available for appropriation in fiscal year 2023 is $116,193,797.
Adding the $5,407,897 budget for the Department of Public Lands, the grand total local revenue and resources available for appropriation is $121,601,694.
With respect to the current fiscal year 2023, former governor Ralph DLG Torres had identified projected resources in the amount of $150,415,492 for the CNMI government and related agencies in fiscal year 2023. This resulted in the enactment of Public Law 22-22, the Appropriations Act of 2023, which had a total amount identified for appropriations at $104,374,369. Palacios has now determined that the amount of $104.37 million should be revised.
The co-sponsors of Yumul’s bill are Reps. Vincent S. Aldan (Ind-Saipan), Blas Jonathan T. Attao (Ind-Saipan), Roman C. Benavente (Ind-Saipan), Angelo A. Camacho (Ind-Saipan), Joel C. Camacho (Ind-Saipan), Vicente C. Camacho (D-Saipan), Manny Gregory T. Castro (Ind-Saipan), Joseph A. Flores (Ind-Saipan), Marissa R. Flores (Ind-Saipan), Julie M. Ogo (Ind-Rota), John Paul P. Sablan (Ind-Saipan), House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan), and Denita K. Yangetmai (D-Saipan).
