The Senate already passed its substitute version of House Bill 16-169 or the Appropriations and Budget Authority Act of 2009.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to hold its session this afternoon and the budget for FY 2009 which began on Oct. 1 is expected on its agenda.
The latest budget version would essentially legally allow the cash-strapped government not to pay public servants for a total of 184 hours which is the equivalent of $4.6 million based on estimated $200,000 savings per unpaid day.
“There are hereby enacted “Unpaid Legal Holidays” by suspending paid legal holidays for Fiscal Year 2009. Unless a department or agency budgeted by the General Fund is required to open on a legal holidays or maintain a 24 hour schedule, it shall be closed on a legal holiday and employees’ pay will be reduced accordingly,” the bill states.
The proposed unpaid legal holidays are as follows:
1. November 4, 2008 [Tuesday] Citizenship Day
2. November 11, 2008 [Tuesday] Veterans Day
3. November 27, 2008 [Thursday]
4. December 8, 2008 [Monday] Constitution Day
5. December 25, 2008 [Thursday] Christmas Day
6. January 1, 2009 [Thursday] New Year’s Day?
7. January 19, 2009 [Monday] MLK Jr. Day
8. February 16, 2009 [Monday] President’s Day
9. March 24, 2009 [Tuesday] Commonwealth Covenant Day
10. April 10, 2009 [Friday] Good Friday
11. May 25, 2009 [Monday] Memorial Day
12. July 4, 2009 [Saturday] Liberation Day
13. September 7, 2009 [Monday] Labor Day
A footnote inserted in the bill states that only New Year’s Day shall be the only paid legal holiday this fiscal year.
However, employees who didn’t work then shall take “an austerity holiday pay reduction and be required to work on the day the pay reduction is applied in the next pay period immediately following New Year’s Day.”
If the new budget is enacted, a total of 10 austerity holidays will additionally be observed in 2009 on the following dates: March 6; April 17; May 1 & 15; June 12; July 10 & 24; August 7 & 21, and; Sept. 18.
Only government offices which are mandated to be open on a 24-hour basis like the police or the seaports and airports, shall be exempted from the forced closure.
Northern Marianas College will be allowed to apply the austerity holidays and unpaid holidays based on their academic calendar to avoid disruption of classes.
“Reductions in working hours for affected employees shall occur according to the schedule of austerity days rather than on a biweekly basis. Only the buildings and grounds of Northern Marianas College necessary for the instruction of students shall remain open on fiscal austerity holidays,” the bill states.
“Any savings to Northern Marianas College in local funds realized as a result of this Act shall remain with Northern Marianas College for the procurement of textbooks and classroom supplies. Savings in federal funds realized as a result of this Act shall be reprogrammed according to the provisions of the funding grant. The President may exempt critical personnel to meet the needs of accreditation, from this Act,” it further stated.
The Public School System, which follows a separate school calendar every year, is expected to make the necessary adjustment to reflect the reduction in hours of its employees.
