Immunity bill awaits governor’s nod

A proposed legislation seeking to shorten the ongoing amnesty offer for illegal foreign workers on the island is awaiting action by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio after the House of Representatives agreed on the plan last Friday.

The measure will also exempt apparel manufacturing firm La Mode, Inc. from the current hiring ban and garment moratorium to allow the factory to dip into the available labor pool and employ 300 nonresident workers.

Senate Bill 11-93 was among a slew of legislation passed by the House in its first session for the year. (see related story)

Rep. Herman Palacios, chair of the House committee on Labor and Immigration, voted against the measure, citing it conflicted with the efforts to cap the garment sector.

But Senate Floor leader Pete P. Reyes, who proposed the bill, has maintained La Mode was denied due process when authorities rejected its applications for guest workers because of the Garment Moratorium Act passed in 1995 and the hiring ban imposed last April.

Senators last month passed the bill that will shorten the period for overstaying alien workers on the island in a move to hasten job placement for those who have availed the immunity offer in garment factories that agreed to absorb them.

The limited immunity law, approved last September, became in effect last December 2 and is scheduled to remain a program of the CNMI government until June of this year.

Legislators have expressed satisfaction over the implementation of the law by the labor and immigration department, prompting them to push for the shortened period to begin the re-employment process for more than 1,000 illegals who have registered so far.

Other bills passed by the House included:

•HB 11-287, imposing a landing fee for every tourist visiting the popular site Managaha Island. Members voted on a Senate amendment. It heads to the governor for consideration;

•SB 11-95, restricting entry of right-hand vehicles into the CNMI. It will go to the governor;

•HB 11-336, prohibiting sale of tobacco products to minors and requiring issuance of license for distributors. It heads to the Senate for action;

•HB 11-338, implementing Resident Workers Fair Compensation Act of 1995. The Senate will act on the bill;

•HB 11-360, appropriating $81,000 from fees of pachinko slot machines for the construction of a bus shelter at San Vicente School; and two other substitute bills, HB 11-357 and 358, earlier recalled by the House due to questions from administration.