SENATOR Edith Deleon Guerrero on Monday prefiled Senate Bill 22-81 that would disclose records or information protected under the Commonwealth Code.
Title 1, Division 9, Chapter 9 Section (a) exempts from public inspection a total of 13 items such as personal information, taxpayer information and specific intelligence information, among other things.
S.B. 22-81 proposes to amend this law by allowing the disclosure of privileged information to a legislative standing or oversight committee.
The bill would permit the disclosure of records “that are in the possession of governing bodies and public agencies to legislative standing or oversight committees upon issuance of a subpoena or subpoena duces tecum.”
The bill stated that “legislative standing and oversight committees’ duties and responsibilities include conducting investigations regarding public complaints, issues and matters brought to the attention of the committees.”
Such legislative investigations, the bill stated, “may warrant obtaining privileged or exempt public records and information from governing bodies and public agencies to address and resolve public issues.”
A Saipan Democrat, Deleon Guerrero chairs the Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee of the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation.
