Introduced by Vice Speaker Felicidad T. Ogumoro, Covenant-Saipan, House Bill 17-57 states that the registry will ensure that, as required by the CNMI Constitution, only NMDs can vote on proposed amendments affecting Article 12, which restricts land ownership to NMDs only.
The Covenant allows the CNMI to revisit Article 12 next year.
According to the bill, the NMD Registry will be the only authorized system in listing NMDs: “There shall be no other government agency, department or instrumentalities, including office of the mayors of Rota, Tinian, Saipan and the Northern Islands, allowed or authorized to establish…a registry of persons of Northern Marianas descent.”
An executive director will manage the registry and other activities relating to it, the bill stated.
The election commission will design and issue official NMD identification cards to NMDs.
In its report endorsing the bill’s passage, the House Committee on Health and Welfare chaired by Rep. Sylvestre I. Iguel, Covenant-Saipan, said it requested comments from “pertinent government departments and agencies on this legislation.”
The Indigenous Affairs Office supports the bill’s passage, while the Department of Public Lands takes no position on the measure, the report stated.
It added that the election commission supports the bill’s intent.
The report stated that the creation of an NMD Registry “will result in additional expenditure,” but the costs “will be minimal.”
The committee provided no dollar amounts.
