FY 2011 starts on Oct. 1.
The bicameral conference committee, Basa said, will meet on Monday to discuss, “hopefully for the last time,” House Bill 17-45 which seeks to cut government work hours from 80 to 72.
The measure was supposed to be passed by the House and the Senate early this week, but it was sent back to the conference committee after the administration raised concerns about the proposed exemptions.
Basa, Covenant-Saipan, said he and the other members of the conference committee will try to wrap it up on Monday so the bill can be included in the calendar for Tuesday’s session.
He said the conference committee will act on the concerns raised by the administration by including the administrative staff of the Public School System and Northern Marianas College in the austerity measure.
According to Basa, they are also considering more flexibility in implementing austerity — a non-working day each pay period may not necessarily fall on Friday as long as the eight-hour reduction takes effect.
Basa said once things are finalized on Monday, the bill will pass the House as drafted because no motion for amendment will be entertained during the session on Tuesday.
