Kilili’s legislation seeks 3-fold increase of federal funding for CNMI policing
Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP) introduced this week a bipartisan legislation that seeks to increase the federal funding for law enforcement, courts, and justice-related initiatives in the CNMI.
Sablan also disclosed in his e-kilili newsletter over the weekend that the CNMI is receiving a total of $2.17 million in federal funds for six programs.
Sablan’s legislation, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa Criminal Justice Support Act (H.R. 9638), supports crime prevention in the islands by allowing the CNMI and American Samoa to be separately funded entities under the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.
The legislation proposes to amend the definition of State in Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.
The delegate said currently, the CNMI and American Samoa are considered as one entity for funding, unlike the other U.S. insular areas and the 50 states.
He said if his legislation is enacted, program funding for the CNMI would triple.
The bill was referred to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary.
Delegate Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa) is an original cosponsor of the bill.
Sablan said regarding the six federal funds, the CNMI is awarded a total of $2,175,476 from the U.S. Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice, and U.S. Department of the Interior.
The Close Up Foundation is getting $100,000 to help fund the 2024 Youth Summit in the Marianas, while the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Planning Agency is receiving $621,521 to help combat violence against women, and $313,977 more to be used to enhance crime victim services.
The CJPA is also receiving $121,280 for the continual funding of the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program at the Department of Corrections, the CNMI is getting $948,281 for Fiscal Year 2024 via the Coral Reef and Natural Resources Program to tackle environmental projects, and the Commonwealth Department of Lands and Natural Resources is being awarded $71,417 for on-island biosecurity training to prevent the spread of harmful organisms in the community.
Regarding the funding for the Youth Summit, Sablan said the U.S. Office of Insular Affairs announced last week the awarding of the $100,000.
Sablan said the technical assistance money, appropriated by the US Congress in the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024, is in addition to $1 million already granted to Close Up for this year.
The delegate said the Close Up program brings students to Washington, D.C. and the U.S. mainland annually to expand their understanding of the U.S. government and the nation’s history.
He said the Youth Summit provides an opportunity for more students at home to also learn about the mechanics of governance by focusing on solutions to local problems.
On the $620,521 funding to the CJPA to stop violence against women, Sablan said the DOJ announced on Sept. 13 the availability of the grant.
He said the Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors (STOP) grant is authorized by the Violence Against Women Act.
The delegate said the funding is intended to build partnerships between law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim services organizations to increase victim safety and hold offenders accountable in cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Pertaining to the $313,977 awarded to the CJPA, Sablan said the DOJ recently announced the funding, which is from the Office for Victims of Crime Fiscal Year 2024 Victim Assistance Formula Grant.
On $121,280 fund to the CJPA, the delegate said the DOJ announced Wednesday on the availability of the money for the DOC’s Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program to ensure that inmates with substance use and mental health disorders are able to receive residential and mental health treatment.
The award is from the Bureau of Justice Assistance Fiscal Year 2024 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program Formula.
Of the $948,281 funding to tackle environmental projects, the CNMI will receive $784,101 for three programs: $325,929 to the DLNR to mitigate the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle, $286,837 to the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality’s Coral Reef Program, and $171,335 to the DLNR to mitigate the impacts of the Velvet Bean.
The remaining $164,180 goes to the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance to advance the Tasi-Watch program for sustainable resource management.
Regarding $71,417 for biosecurity training, Sablan said the Department of the Interior announced Tuesday of the availability of the money.
He said the funding is made possible via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan
