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House passes package of bills including expanded military leave and emergency reserve fund; $29M MPLT loan left on calendar
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Summary
The House of Representatives passed a slate of bills by recorded roll call with unanimous support from the 12 members present, including measures on military leave and an emergency reserve fund; a proposed $29 million MPLT loan was left on the calendar because a two-thirds vote was required and not met.
The House of Representatives passed a slate of bills during the session by recorded roll call, with 12 members present and voting in favor on each passed measure. The package included measures addressing military leave for government employees, a dedicated emergency reserve fund, changes to hotel-occupancy tax allocations, child welfare placement priorities, criminal-law amendments and administrative procedures.
Key outcomes: HB 24-54, a bill to increase the number of military leave hours available to CNMI government employees and broaden eligibility, passed on first and final reading (12–0). House Bill 24-38, establishing a dedicated CNMI emergency reserve fund with an annual mandatory deposit and disbursement procedures, passed as House Draft 1 after a floor amendment clarifying reporting dates (12–0). House Bill 24-9 (House Draft 1), which reallocates portions of hotel/occupancy tax receipts to support parks and recreation beautification efforts and included a floor amendment reducing a $75,000 line to $40,000, passed (12–0).
Other bills that passed (each recorded 12–0 unless noted): HB 24-16 (prioritize kinship placement for children in protective custody), HB 24-35 (amendments to the Good Samaritan Act), HB 24-39 (establish treatment program enforcement officers in the judiciary and recognize them as law enforcement for Commonwealth law), HB 24-5 H.D.1 (provisions for jaywalking), HB 24-10 (change-of-name legal procedure), HB 24-26 (amend the crime of child abuse), HB 24-45 (reappropriate $50,000 for operational expenses of the mayor's office of the Municipality of Rota).
Votes at a glance: - HB 24-54 (military leave expansion): Sponsor Representative Aquino; mover: Floor Leader; recorded vote: 12 yes, 0 no; outcome: passed on first and final reading. - HB 24-38 H.D.1 (emergency reserve fund): Sponsor Vice Speaker (submitted amendment); floor amendment adopted; recorded vote: 12 yes, 0 no; outcome: passed. - HB 24-9 H.D.1 (hotel tax reallocation to Division of Parks and Recreation): Sponsor Representative Joel Camacho (floor amendment offered); recorded vote: 12 yes, 0 no; outcome: passed. - HB 24-16 (kinship placement): reported by committee, sponsor not specified in roll call; recorded vote: 12 yes, 0 no; outcome: passed. - HB 24-35 (Good Samaritan Act amendments): recorded vote: 12 yes, 0 no; outcome: passed. - HB 24-39 (treatment program enforcement officers): recorded vote: 12 yes, 0 no; outcome: passed. - HB 24-5 H.D.1 (jaywalking provisions): recorded vote: 12 yes, 0 no; outcome: passed. - HB 24-10 (change-of-name procedure): recorded vote: 12 yes, 0 no; outcome: passed. - HB 24-26 (child abuse amendments): recorded vote: 12 yes, 0 no; outcome: passed. - HB 24-45 (reappropriate $50,000 for Rota mayor): recorded vote: 12 yes, 0 no; outcome: passed.
House Bill 24-50, a bill to authorize a $29,000,000 loan between the Commonwealth government and the Maranis Public Land Trust and to allow MPLT to retain net annual distributable income beginning FY 2026 for repayment, was not acted on. The clerk and floor leader noted the measure requires a two-thirds vote (14 members) and only 12 members were present; the item was left on the calendar for a future session after the Ways and Means committee and Maranis trustees requested further meetings and amendments.
Several bills were introduced and referred to committees during the session: HB 24-55 (strengthen penalties for illegally parking in spaces designated for persons with disabilities) was referred to the JGO committee; HB 24-56 (CNMI Air Service Development Matching Fund) was referred to Transportation and Infrastructure; HB 24-57 (reestablish a government liability cap) was referred to JGO. A number of unnumbered or local bills were also introduced and assigned to later referral.
Next steps: Passed House bills will be transmitted to the Senate for its consideration or move through the prescribed committee/transmittal process. HB 24-50 remains on the calendar pending committee meetings with MPLT trustees and potential amendments.
