THE House of Representatives on Tuesday overrode Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ veto of House Bill 22-80, which would allow the CNMI to join the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact or PSYPACT and improve and expand the islands’ access to mental healthcare.
The override of the governor’s veto requires the support of two-thirds or 14 of the 20 House members, and of six of the nine senators.
All the 19 House members present on Tuesday voted to override the governor’s veto. Rep. Roy Ada was excused.
In his veto message, the governor said although he supports the bill’s intent, “the authors of the bill did not include any information detailing what the estimated annual costs will be to administer PSYPACT nor any funding support via appropriation to support this annual financial commitment for the Commonwealth.”
Prior to the roll call vote, Rep. Tina Sablan, the bill’s author, said the governor “was gravely mistaken and misguided when he vetoed the bill.”
She said the House and the Senate unanimously passed H.B. 22-80 with strong support from the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., the Community Guidance Center, the Healthcare Professional Licensing Board, licensed psychologists in private practice and other advocates.
The Legislature passed the mental health bill “because we recognize the serious mental health crisis that is facing our community especially in light of multiple and traumatic typhoon disasters and the far-reaching impact of Covid 19 pandemic,” she added.
The Democratic candidate for governor, Sablan said the CNMI would not administer PSYPACT.
She said the fact that the governor described it that way in his veto message “shows how little he understands…how PSYPACT works, how little he understood this legislation and how little he bothered to do his homework.”
She said if the governor cared about mental health and if he had any questions about how PSYPACT works all he had to do was ask.
The governor, she added, could have read the committee reports that both the House and the Senate approved.
She said he also could have consulted with any mental health providers in the CNMI who have advocated for the bill — he could have checked with Healthcare Professional Licensing Board, or called or emailed the PSYPACT commission.
“He didn’t do any of that. He just vetoed the bill,” Sablan said.
There is a state assessment fee of $10 for any licensed psychologist to participate in the PSYPACT, she added.
Currently, she said there are six licensed psychologists in the CNMI so the cost to the Commonwealth would be $60.
Sablan said most states pay this fee, but it could be passed on to the authorized psychologist, resulting in no cost to the CNMI.
Sablan said the people should not “suffer” for the governor’s “grave mistake” so she asked her colleagues to “correct that error and exercise our constitutional authority today to override that veto.”
The bill would become law if the Senate also overrides the governor’s veto.
