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Committee hears bill to advance Chamorro and Carolinian language education; members request stakeholder input
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Summary
Senators discussed SB 24-04 on May 8, a bill proposing credentialing, pay parity and a short certificate program for Chamorro and Carolinian language teachers, and requested additional input from PSS and Northern Marianas College before final action.
Senators discussed SB 24-04 on May 8, a bill that would advance instruction in the indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian languages in the Commonwealth by supporting credentialing, pay parity and a 16‑week academic program for language teachers.
The bill’s author described the measure as focused on providing tools and compensation to bilingual instructors rather than immediately mandating additional required coursework for students. The sponsor said the bill “focuses more on the credentials of the program and the pay,” and that a separate bill could address mandating language instruction from eighth grade upward.
Members and stakeholders raised several procedural and implementation questions. Some senators urged that the public-school system (PSS) and Northern Marianas College (NMC) be consulted before final action; Senator (recorded as) Barbault asked that the bill be tabled to allow PSS and NMC to review certification and curriculum implications. Other senators said NMC already offers Chamorro studies degrees and that the bill could build on existing courses; members also noted that a certificate or degree program for Carolinian language appears to be missing locally.
Committee members discussed aligning NMC and PSS responsibilities so the bill would not conflict with constitutional mandates or the land‑grant mission of NMC CREES. The Chamorro and Carolinian Language Policy Commission and the Office of Indigenous Affairs submitted comments in support, according to committee staff.
No final committee vote on SB 24-04 is recorded in the transcript excerpt. Committee members asked staff to obtain formal comments from PSS and NMC and suggested the bill could be tabled for revision depending on stakeholders’ feedback.
Senator Manny Gregory T. Castro, the bill sponsor, told the committee the legislation’s intent is to “pay the bilingual teachers the salary that they should be getting and to end the discrimination,” and emphasized the bill is intended to build capacity and equity for language instructors.
