By Emmanuel T. Erediano
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
REPRESENTATIVE Patrick San Nicolas on Monday introduced House Bill 24-92, seeking to appropriate $63,000 for the Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
The proposed appropriation was part of the fiscal year 2026 budget revision bill passed by the Legislature but was line-item vetoed by the governor when he signed Public Law 24-20. The governor stated that there was no express provision clarifying its intent and noted that the program is already embedded within all three senatorial districts. He added that creating a centralized office would be duplicative and administratively redundant.
H.B. 24-92 clarifies that the $63,000 is intended to fund the CNMI Soil and Water Conservation Districts, which have been established pursuant to Public Law 4-44 in all three senatorial districts, and not to create a duplicative centralized office.
The bill appropriates the funds as follows:
• $25,000 to the Saipan Soil and Water Conservation District
• $19,000 to the Tinian Soil and Water Conservation District
• $19,000 to the Rota Soil and Water Conservation District
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
