The House, however, went into recess until 9 a.m. today, and Speaker Eli D. Cabrera, R-Saipan, said he is willing to open the floor for public comments before they act on the bill.
CCA program manager Tina Sablan, a former House member, said it is likely that the House will amend the bill to address what some lawmakers described as “technical errors.”
House Floor Leader George N. Camacho, Ind.-Saipan, said they had not been addressing S.B. 17-37 as expected since last week because some of the language needed to be clarified with the Senate first.
The House passed its own version of the smoking ban amendment, H.B. 17-70, which proposed to increase the number of smoking rooms at hotels from 20 to 80 percent.
The Senate version will increase it to 30 percent.
Camacho said instead of just amending H.B. 17-70 after the House passed it, the Senate passed S.B. 17-37 which appears to have lifted the ban on smoking at restaurants and bars.
He said the House does not intend to amend the law’s provision that bans smoking at restaurants.
They just want to address the concerns of the hotel industry and that is why H.B. 17-70, which was introduced by Rep. Froilan C. Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, will allow more smoking rooms at hotels only, he added.
“So we need to clarify that with them [the Senate] before we act on the bill. The Senate seemed to have lifted the smoking ban at restaurants and bars, and that is our concern,” Camacho said.
House Minority Leader Diego T. Benavente, R-Saipan, reminded the speaker about the people who had been waiting for the House to act on the bill.
He also noted that the proposed amendments to the anti-smoking law were one of the priorities they had agreed to act on.
“It’s not fair,” Benavente said, referring to the continuous delay in action.
The proposal to relax the smoking ban is one of the priorities discussed in last month’s summit between the administration and lawmakers.
Also considered a priority is the bill to create the Japan Air Service Incentive Program, or H.B. 17-141, which is now with the governor’s office.
Camacho authored the measure.
To improve occupancy, the Hotel Association of Northern Mariana Islands has been urging the Legislature to ease the anti-smoking law so hotels can accommodate tourists who smoke.
However, public health advocates led by CCA program manager Tina Sablan and Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez oppose this recommendation.
Today while the House is expected to act on the bill, the CNMI will also participate in the celebration of World Cancer Day.