Saipan Tribune

Monday, May 20, 2013

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

17th Legislature to hold final sessions today

The 17th Senate and House of Representatives will hold separate final sessions or sine die today, Tuesday.

Senate President Paul A. Manglona (Ind-Rota) set a regular session at 9am, while House Speaker Eliceo D. Cabrera (R-Saipan) set a regular session at 10am.

Both Cabrera and Manglona lost their re-election bids last November.

The new Legislature will be sworn in on Jan. 14.

At the Senate session, the calendar includes Senate Commemorative Resolution 17-24 for Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro.

Other items are resolutions to commemorate and acknowledge Senator Manglona for his “unwavering commitment and longstanding service to the CNMI” and to acknowledge and commend Sen. Luis Crisostimo (R-Saipan) and Sen. Henry H. San Nicolas (Cov-Tinian) for their “dedicated services and contributions to the CNMI.”

Scheduled for final reading is Senate Bill 17-109 that seeks to exempt charter flights and new routes from paying landing fees at Commonwealth airports.

Also for final reading is House Bill 17-159 that seeks to address and deter bullying in schools by establishing parental liability for the harm inflicted by bullies who are not properly disciplined and supervised by their parents.

Other House bills for final reading at the Senate are to reprogram all remaining funds from Public Law 11-119 (Lower Base Industrial Park area) and to re-appropriate $271,240 from Public Laws 11-79 and 11-119 for Rota CIP projects.

There was no item in the resolution calendar at the House's session but 10 bills are set for action.

Among these is H.B. 17-243 that seeks to allow individuals to donate a portion of their rebate or refund to worthy causes in the Commonwealth.

Also on the calendar is H.B. 17-228 that aims to amend a statute to provide technical skilled labor for CUC when it is unable to find qualified U.S. citizens and U.S. residents.

Also for action is H.B. 17-300 that creates the “Financial Exploitation of a Man'amko/Elderly Person or a Person With a Disability Act.