A bill that would give the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. the power to skip the procurement processes of the Department of Finance when applying for federal grants passed House of Representatives last week.<\/p>\n
By allowing it to skip Finance\u2019s procurement process, it is hope that NMHC, an autonomous agency under the CNMI government that is funded solely by federal grants, will have a faster grant applications process, skipping Finance\u2019s vast processes that government agencies go through.<\/p>\n
\u201cDue to the excessive burden that the Department of Finance is faced with in dealing with other government agencies, timeliness is a serious concern that NMHC is faced with,\u201d states the House Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations. \u201cIf NMHC\u2019s projects are not completed in a timely manner as set under [federal] guidelines, NMHC\u2019s grant funding may be jeopardized.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rep. Ivan A. Blanco (R-Saipan), who authored House Bill 20-153, chairs the committee.<\/p>\n
H.B. 20-153, which passed the House on a vote of 18-0, authorizes NMHC, along with the Commonwealth Development Authority, to promulgate their own regulations on procurement, travel, and personnel matters, instead of having to go through Finance.<\/p>\n
In a March 19, 2018, letter, Finance Secretary Larissa Larson expressed support for the bill, saying it \u201ccorrects an issue that was overlooked and allows for the autonomy that was intended\u201d in creating NMHC.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder the current interpretation of the law, DOF has had to delegate authorities to NMHC to allow them to operate in an autonomous form. H.B. 20-153 addresses that concern by allowing NMHC to determine and promulgate its own regulations for personnel, procurement, and travel as should be the case in an autonomous agency,\u201d Larson wrote to Blanco.<\/p>\n
The bill now heads to the Senate for action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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