3 bills in U.S. Congress threaten to disrupt local business  Chamber

The chairman of the Government Relations Committee of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce has warned against the passage of three bills in the U.S. Congress that will severely affect various businesses in the CNMI.

In a memorandum to Chamber members, David A. Wiseman, chair of the Government Relations Committee, said these proposed measures, if passed, may be applied to the Northern Marianas.

According to Mr. Wiseman, H. R. 2104, an amendment to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 would allow employees to take leave of absence to care for domestic partners, parents-in-law, adult children, siblings, or grandparents with serious health conditions.

Currently, employees may only take leave in order to care for a child, parent or spouse with a serious health condition, for the birth, adoption, or placement for foster care of a child, or for their own serious health condition.

Family and Medical Leave Clarification Act, otherwise known as S.1530, would repeal the Department of Labor’s regulations defining “serious health condition” under the Act. These words would be replaced with language which states that the term does not apply to medical conditions of short duration.

Furthermore, the FMLCA would require leave to be taken in increments no shorter than half-day, and place the burden of designating requested leave as FMLA leave on the employee, rather than on the employer.

Two bills — S. 1276 and H.R. 2355, otherwise referred to as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 1999 are intended to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

The term “sexual orientation” is defined as homosexuality, bisexuality, or heterosexuality — whether the orientation is real or perceived. Mr. Wiseman said the bills do not require preferential treatment or quotas on sexual orientation.

If passed, the proposal would exempt certain religious organizations from its provisions, including religious corporations, associations, or societies, schools, colleges, universities or other educational institutions, if these are substantially controlled, managed, owned or supported by a religion or religious corporation, organization or society, or the curriculum of the establishment is directed toward the propagation of a religion.

Earlier, the U.S. Senate voted down legislation seeking to extend to the CNMI a raise in the federal minimum wage, a move that would have hiked present rate of $3.05 to $6.15 an hour.