Senate Vice President Felix T. Mendiola, Covenant-Rota, and Henry H. San Nicolas, Covenant-Tinian, were absent.
Introduced by Rep. Heinz S. Hofschneider, R-Saipan, House Bill 16-135 proposes to establish a Commonwealth Autism Commission that will provide services to individuals with autism.
The bill now heads to the governor.
Introduced by Sen. Joseph M. Mendiola, Covenant-Tinian, Senate Bill 16-34, as amended by the House of Representatives, will remove the term limits imposed upon the Election Commission members, who cannot serve for more than two consecutive four-year terms.
Lawmakers believe that the relatively smaller communities of Tinian and Rota experience greater difficulty than Saipan in identifying qualified individuals who would be willing to serve on the commission.
According to lawmakers, this difficulty could hamper the commission’s functions since it cannot meet and take official action unless there is a member present from all three senatorial districts.
S.B. 16-34 will now be transmitted to the governor.
In passing H.B. 16-135, lawmakers noted that autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the U.S. and the CNMI.
In the CNMI, during school year 2007-2008 PSS recorded 58 students with autism whose ages ranged from 3 to 21.
According to the bill, “A commission on autism is necessary to develop a comprehensive plan for services for individuals of all ages with autism which include providing state-of-the-art clinical services, increasing capacity for services through professional development, increasing knowledge and awareness about autism in the professional community and general public, and conducting research aimed at improving lives of individuals with autism and their families.”
