House Bill 17-179 is now Public Law 17-58 while H.B. 17-202 is now P.L. 17-59.
Introduced by House Floor Leader George N. Camacho, Ind.-Saipan, H.B. 17-179 amends P.L. 17-29 to establish Tourism Air Service Stabilization Fund by imposing a $15 travel fee on carriers for every arriving passenger in the CNMI.
In an interview yesterday, Camacho said he wants to thank the governor for signing the measure.
The Marianas Visitor Authority, he said, can now promulgate rules so the commonwealth can soon realize “the benefits of the law.”
Camacho reiterated that the goal of the bill is to motivate tour agents to promote the CNMI to tourist markets not only in Japan but also in other Asian markets like China and Korea.
In a separate interview, Speaker Eli D. Cabrera, R-Saipan and the author of the H.B. 17-202, said now that the governor has signed it, “we need to work with the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Personnel Management to look into possible amendments because the transitional worker visa requirement is now in place.”
He said when he drafted the bill the CW regulation was not in effect yet.
Fitial, in his transmittal letter to the Legislature, said although Cabrera’s bill does not address hiring standards, “I have signed it into law in order to deal with critical and ongoing projects.”
The governor said he was instructing DPW to work with the AG’s office in addressing the hiring of foreign engineers “to ensure that these engineers meet our standards with regard to qualifications, education and licensing requirements.”
He added, “The Legislature has taken appropriate action to ensure that the DPW has the tools and technical staff to meet critical agency objectives.
While a technical issue exists, I am pleased to approve this needed legislation and thank the legislative leadership for action to better serve the commonwealth.”
