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House approves local bills directing $1.2M to Kagman health center and district recovery funds
Summary
In a May 6 special session the House passed House Local Bill No. 24-52 as Substitute 1, amending allocations to add $1.2 million for U1 (including $550,000 reserved for A&E design of the Kagman Access Road) and a $5,000 allocation to Paire Football Club; House Local Bill No. 24-53 (S1) also passed, reallocating district recovery funds and delaying one scholarship payment.
The House passed two House Local Bills on May 6 that reallocated local and district funds for recovery, community health and member distributions.
House Local Bill No. 24-52 was introduced by the chair to appropriate $125,000 under Saipan Local Law 20-26, but the chair offered Substitute 1 on the floor that amended the bill. Legal counsel explained the substitute increased one line item to $300,000, added $1.2 million from Saipan Local Law 20-26 to U1, and updated section numbers and reappropriation statements. The substitute also added $5,000 for the Paire Football Club and designated $550,000 to be reserved for the architecture and engineering (A&E) design of the new Kagman Access Road (Route 34). Counsel summarized the changes: "With the substitute, we've actually amended the amount to 300,000 and added 1.2 million...each place where those section numbers and amounts occur have been updated." (Counsel Kerber).
During floor discussion Representative Marissa Flores and the vice chair expressed support for the substitute as a way to expand access to health services and give residents choices among providers. Representative Francisco Flores earlier had urged better coordination among the Isla Community Health Center (Kagman Community Health Center) and CHCC, saying the communication requested $650,000 and asking the House to invite nonprofit and health professionals to explain service gaps before distributing funds. He said, "I don't understand why this money cannot be shared when they're all trying to help and have one mission, one goal." The chair responded that he had already met with Kagman Community Health Center staff, asked that they submit an official letter, and said he would ask them to present a PowerPoint so members can better understand services and needs prior to funding being released.
Following adoption of the substitute on voice vote, the House took a recorded roll call on the main motion; the clerk announced all 18 members present voted yes and House Local Bill No. 24-52 in the form of Substitute 1 passed the delegation.
Later the House passed House Local Bill No. 24-53 (Substitute 1), introduced by Representative Ralph Yumol. The substitute delayed a $50,000 disbursement to the scholarships office, removed funding for family court office equipment, retained funds for debris removal and recovery operations, and provided a distributed allocation for delegation members to assist precinct-level recovery. Representative Yumol described technical corrections and said the substitute aimed to avoid conflict with ongoing "virus projects" and to give members flexibility for recovery work. The substitute was adopted and a roll call showed all 18 members present voted yes, passing 24-53 S1.
What happens next: Both bills passed the delegation floor on May 6 in Substitute 1 form. The chair indicated he will summon Kagman Community Health Center staff for a briefing before final disbursement of funds reserved for the center.
