Rep. Blas Jonathan Attao speaks during a House session.
REPRESENTATIVE Blas Jonathan T. Attao on Tuesday prefiled House Bill 24-6, which would amend the fiscal year 2025 budget law by increasing the CNMI government’s financial resources available for appropriation from $117 million to $139 million.
Attao will introduce the bill when the House holds a session on Friday.
H.B. 24-6 reflects the budget revision that Gov. Arnold I. Palacios submitted to the Legislature on Jan. 17, 2025 identifying an additional $22 million in FY 2025 resources. He also informed lawmakers that the government has floated a $30 million pension obligation bond “to address acute short-term cash flow challenges.”
The governor proposed spending the additional $22 million on the following:
1) $14.8 million for the restoration of employees’ full working hours across all government agencies and instrumentalities.
2) $6.6 million for the payment of 25% of the retirees’ pension benefits.
3) $600,000 in additional allocations to House and Senate members and the restoration of operational funds of the Legislative Bureau.
The proposed amendment to the budget law would also increase allocations for the Senate and House leadership from $100,000 to $200,000; House members from $2.1 million to $2.3 million; senators from $945,000 to $1 million; and the Legislative Bureau from $1.7 million to $2.1 million.
In addition, the judicial branch’s allocation would increase from $5.3 million to $6.1 million.
