House passes FY2026 budget bill (HB 24‑46) after floor amendment on earmarks and school spending

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives on a unanimous 17‑0 vote passed House Bill 24‑46, House Draft 1, a fiscal year 2026 bill to "define and identify general revenues and approve revenues and resources" and make appropriations for government operations, after the body accepted a floor amendment and voted for final passage.

The bill — introduced by Representative John Paul Sablan and several cosponsors — seeks to define which government receipts count as "general revenues" for computing constitutionally required education funding and to appropriate funds for agencies, instrumentalities and government corporations for FY2026. Sablan said the Ways and Means Committee reallocated resources to set aside $29,000,000 to meet retiree obligations while holding most agencies to their FY2025 funding levels.

Why it matters: Article 15 of the CNMI Constitution guarantees the Public School System (PSS) a minimum share of general revenues; how the government defines "general revenues" affects the 25% constitutional guarantee and will influence education funding and other priorities across the Commonwealth.

During public comment before the vote, Macy B. Tonario of the CNMI State Board of Education warned that the bill's draft method of defining general revenues — as a post‑spending remainder — would undercount the base used to compute PSS's 25% guarantee. "HB 24‑46 understates the base used to compute PSS's 25% resulting in PSS receiving $13,000,000 less than what the constitution promises to students of the CNMI," Tonario said, citing the CNMI Supreme Court's framework for distinguishing general and special revenues.

Representative Sablan offered a floor amendment that, among other technical changes, revised the bill's language on suspension of earmarked funds and amended Section 709 to require that a minimum of 86% of all PSS funds be allocated directly to instructional expenditures. The amendment was adopted by voice vote before the House proceeded to final passage.

In floor remarks explaining the fiscal choices, Sablan said the committee "made adjustments to free up $29,000,000 from across the Commonwealth so that we can fulfill our obligations to our retirees" and called funding those obligations "not optional. It is both legal and moral duty." He told colleagues the committee held most agencies at FY2025 funding levels and deferred new or vacant positions to set aside the $29,000,000.

Other speakers from the public and administration emphasized education outcomes. Lawrence Camacho, commissioner of education for the CNMI Public School System, thanked the House and described the school system as serving about 9,000 students across 20 schools and roughly 1,200 employees; he also said district reading proficiency rose 17% and math proficiency rose 7% year‑over‑year.

The House Clerk recorded a roll call; the clerk later reported "all 17 members present voted yes," and the Speaker declared HB 24‑46, HD1, passed.

What remains: The bill will proceed to any next steps required by the legislative process. The floor amendment directs legal counsel and the clerk to make technical revisions necessary to effectuate the floor amendment before transmittal.

Votes at a glance: House Bill 24‑46, HD1 — passage on first and final reading; vote: 17 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain.

Ending: Supporters framed the bill as balancing legal retiree obligations with protecting education funding; public commenters urged adherence to the CNMI Supreme Court's test for identifying special versus general revenues. The House adopted an amendment to earmark a higher proportion of PSS funds to instructional spending and sent the final bill forward after the unanimous vote.