Sablan signs new law to benefit former land owners

A new law signed by acting Gov. Jesus R. Sablan will allow former land owners displaced after the U.S. military or the old Trust Territory government seized their properties to reclaim them based only on eligibility.

Public Law 11-96 will also provide a legal basis for the Division of Public Lands as well as the Board of Public Lands to deal with long-standing problems stemming from land taking that occurred more than 20 years ago prior to the island becoming a U.S. commonwealth.

Both agencies are “very much in support of this bill so that pending applications can be processed and acted on by DPL and BPL,” Sablan said in signing Senate Bill 11-135 into law.

Sponsored by Sen. Juan P. Tenorio, the legislation amended existing statutes on agricultural homesteading program as well as land lease agreements granted by the island government.

Under the new law, public lands officials shall waive requirements and restrictions on the agricultural homestead to grant the rights, interests and permit to former land owners or tillers affected by the military’s or TT’s actions prior to January 9, 1978.

Conditions to reclaim ownership set out by PL 11-96 contend that a person must demonstrate “continuous and actual occupancy or use of public land for agricultural purposes for period of 15 years prior” to that date.

Dozens of people with pending applications with DPL are expected to benefit from this law, according to legislators.

Meanwhile, Sablan also signed into law a House measure to permit retirees to receive survivors benefits on top of other benefits they are entitled to.

This will cover Class I members of the NMI Retirement Fund who are eligible to receive the survivor’s benefits as well as their earned retirement benefits, which is being applied to Class II members.

“No eligible survivor, who is also a Fund member, should be forced to elect between his or her earned benefits or the survivor’s benefits. The surviving eligible spouse is entitled to both benefits,” Sablan said in signing the HB 11-432 into PL 11-95.

According to legislators, this new law will address “unfair and discriminatory” retirement policy in the CNMI which has restricted benefits to couples who are both employed by the government.