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Committee advances CNMI Data Act to full House after adopting technical edits
Summary
The JGO committee amended and recommended House Bill 24-67 (the 'CNMI Data Act') to create a public financial- and grant-reporting portal, require standardized disclosures by government entities and provide vendors with procurement information; members incorporated edits on funding priority and use of external funds and approved a committee report for passage.
Rep. Marissa Flores introduced House Bill 24-67, the CNMI Data Act, describing it as a measure to "promote government transparency, accountability, and digital accessibility by requiring standardized reporting of financial and grant information" across Commonwealth entities. Flores said the bill would require a public dashboard showing funding sources, encumbrances, payments, contract and subcontractor information and other procurement data so vendors and the public can see what contracts and grants exist and their status.
Members noted written comments from the Department of Commerce and discussed whether the Office of Public Auditor had submitted comments; clerks clarified that the Department of Commerce had commented and there was no separate public-auditor comment attached. The floor leader proposed technical edits (for example, revising a sentence on page seven and adding language that the Department of Finance shall "first use external funds awarded or appropriated by the federal government or other governmental sources for the purposes of establishing, supporting, maintaining, and enhancing the transparency portal"). The committee discussed OPA-related implementation questions raised by members, including where agencies should post advisor registers and which office should receive noncompliance reports.
Members adopted the floor leader's amendments, clarified wording (including replacing 'appropriated' with 'reserved' in one instance), and moved a committee report recommending passage in the form of House Draft 1. The motion passed; the committee reported HB24-67 (House Draft 1) for passage to the full House.
What happens next: The committee report will be prepared and transmitted to the full House for consideration. Members asked counsel to continue technical cleanup before the next session and to coordinate with the Department of Finance and other stakeholders on implementation details.
