House Bill 17-45 is expected to be passed and transmitted to the governor this week.
Among the senators present during final committee meeting were Fiscal Affairs Committee Chairwoman Jovita M. Taimanao, Ind.-Rota, Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian, Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, and Sen. Francisco Q. Cruz, R-Tinian.
Representing the House were Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan, and Vice Speaker Felicidad T. Ogumoro, Covenant-Saipan.
Taimanao said the Senate is expected to act on the bill on Thursday. The House is scheduled to hold a session today.
The members of the conference committee spent hours “fine tuning” the language of the bill on the hiring restriction and exemptions from the work-hour reduction.
Lawmakers agreed that “no new position shall be established or filled,” except for emergency functions.
Reyes recommended that vacant positions might as well be dropped if not filled for a long time.
Removing nonessential vacant positions will help fulfill the intention of the austerity bill, he added.
Ogumoro recommended that in case there is a dire need to hire for new positions during the effectivity of the austerity measure, the governor will have to seek the approval of the Legislature.
She cited Northern Marianas College’s apprenticeship program which will create new positions next fiscal year as she stressed their importance since NMC is trying to retain its accreditation.
The conference committee also discussed the measure’s impact on the criminal division of the Attorney General’s Office with Chief Prosecutor Mike Ernest.
Reyes said a prosecutor’s job requires work that goes beyond the regular hours but he added that criminal division cannot be exempted. Some prosecutors are concerned that the austerity measure will cut their salary without reducing their work-hours. Reyes said the criminal division deserves an exemption, like the other essential agencies — NMC, the Public School System, Public Safety, Public Health and Corrections — “but whether the CNMI government can afford to exempt them is another thing.”
