House introduces a slate of bills, suspends filing rule and places ports finance bill on calendar

The House opened its fourth day, first regular session and introduced a package of bills on government finance, labor relations, child welfare and local appropriations while approving procedural motions to add unnumbered items to the agenda and to place a ports authority finance bill on the calendar.

Floor leader moved to suspend the House’s advance-filing requirement “pursuant to rule 10, section 5 F” and “suspend rule 3, section 6 for the purpose of amending our posted agenda to add unnumbered bills and resolutions,” a motion the clerk recorded as carrying when all 17 members present voted yes. After introductions, the floor leader formally introduced House Bill 24-14 “to establish the Office of Financial Integrity and Compliance, OFIC, and the OFIC Oversight Committee to improve the CNMI government's financial management and reporting.”

The House introduced several additional measures and referred them to committees: House Bill 24-15—on public-sector employee relations and organized labor—was referred to the committee on JGO; House Bill…