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Legislature OKs tobacco funds appropriation
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Posted on Jul 09 2005
The House and the Senate have put their seal of approval on the bill that aims to reprogram all monies in the Tobacco Control Fund to various programs.
The passage of the bill, called the CNMI Health Improvement Act of 2005, came even as the Executive Branch is asking the Legislature to suspend appropriations using tobacco funds to boost the government’s spending in fiscal year 2006.
Lawmakers from both chambers passed House Bill 14-342, which appropriates funds for the following programs:
* $492,000 to the Department of Public Health for Kagman Wellness Center ($450,000) and renovation and expansion of San Roque Wellness Center ($42,000);
* $70,000 to the Office of the Special Assistant for Youth Affairs Office, to be equally distributed among different programs on Saipan;
* $10,000 to the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs for the Tanapag Youth Learning Center;
* $10,000 to the As Matuis Learning Center under the expenditure authority of the Tanapag Elementary School principal, for the implementation of Youth Tobacco-Free programs;
* $200,000 to the Public School System for school health education program;
* $25,000 to the Guma’ Esperansa Women’s Shelter under the executive director of Karidat;
* $50,000 to the Family Violence Task Force for domestic violence abuse under the Attorney General’s Office;
* $110,000 to Rota for Rota Health Center ($35,000), Special Assistant for Youth Affairs $70,000), $5,000 for the Luta Amateur Sports Federation; and
* $110,00 to Tinian for Tinian Health Center ($35,000) and Public library ($75,000).
Earlier, the House also passed H.B.14-8, which appropriates $1.3 million using the same source of funds for the same programs.
The Babauta administration has submitted a $225.8 million budget package, which includes revenue generating measures such as the suspension of Tobacco Control Fund and Tobacco Settlement Fund, imposing of $6,000 fee increase of poker fee, and diversion of local poker funds to the General Fund—all expected to generate some $20 million.
The administration said that only $206 million could be raised based on the existing resources.
