President Signs Four Congressional Acts into Public Law

Government of the Federated States of Micronesia

President Signs Four Congressional Acts into Public Law

Palikir, Pohnpei (FSM Information Services): February 20, 2009 - Four Congressional Acts that were transmitted to the President's Office after the 6^th Regular Session of the 15^th Congress of FSM have become public law with President Mori's signature.

Congressional Act (CA) No. 15-68 entitled "AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF THE FSM REPRESENTATIVES TO THE JOINT ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (JEMCO) AND THE JOINT TRUST FUND COMMITTEE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION, AS AMENDED, BETWEEN FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA AND THE UNITED STATES , AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.", has become Public Law No. 15-70.

This law is a result of a Congressional override of a Presidential veto on this act from the Special Session of Congress held in January of 2009. This law states that the President shall appoint, with the advice and consent of Congress, two JEMCO Members. One member shall be appointed by "virtue of his or her position within the National Government" and the other member will be appointed by the President from a list of four nominees, one nominee per state governor. JEMCO representatives must be citizens of the FSM and shall serve a two-year term. JEMCO representatives may be re-appointed for another consecutive term, but not more than two consecutive terms. The law also states that the National Government will be responsible for the cost of the representatives' participation in all JEMCO meetings. More information about this law can be obtained from the FSM Congress website at www.fsmcongress.fm/ in the near future.

With this public law, Congress also confirmed the nomination of the Honorable Mr. Lorin Robert, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, to the U.S. FSM Compact of Free Association Joint Economic Management Committee. Secretary Robert will serve as the member appointed from the FSM National Government. President Mori is awaiting the list of nominees from the state governors to select the second representative to JEMCO.

The second Congressional Act to become law is CA No. 15-76, "AN ACT TO FURTHER AMEND SECTION 3 OF PUBLIC LAW NO. 15-55 TO CHANGE THE USE OF FUNDS PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED THERIN FROM THE GENERAL FUND OF THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2009, TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR OPERATION OF THE LEGISTATIVE BRANCH OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES." This has been designated Public Law No. 15-69 and sets the amount of $3,073,003 for the operations of the Legislative Branch of the National Government during fiscal year 2009. More details on this law can found on the FSM Congress website presently.

The third Public Law to be designated from the 6^th Regular session is PL No. 15-71 with the title, "TO APPROPRIATE THE SUM OF $46,111,340 FROM THE GENERAL FUND OF THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2009, FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FOR THE STATE AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS OF THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES." This is the major infrastructure bill that the State-National Leadership Conference helped prioritize and move through the appropriations process that previously has stalled infrastructure projects from moving forward. This law designates $2.3 million to the Infrastructure Maintenance Fund, $17.4 million to Chuuk State infrastructure projects, $5 million to projects of Kosrae State, $11.6 million to projects in Pohnpei State, $7.2 million to projects in Yap State, and $2.4 million to projects of the National Government. The States and the National Government have an agreed upon distribution formula that divides infrastructure grants coming through the Compact of Free Association. This public law is not yet posted to the FSM Congress website.

Finally, CA 15-77 entitled, "AN ACT TO FURTHER AMEND PUBLIC LAW NO. 15-32, AS AMENDED, BY AMENDING SECTION 1 THEREOF, TO CHANGE THE USE OF CERTAIN FUNDS PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED THEREIN FOR THE STATES OF CHUUK AND YAP, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," has been designated PL 15-72. This law states that "The sum of $3,780,000, or so much thereof is hereby appropriated from the General Fund of the Federated States of Micronesia for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008 for the purpose of funding public projects and social programs in each State of the Federated States of Micronesia. The fund shall be apportioned on the basis of $250,000 or less per member of Congress as follows, PROVIDED THAT an increase of $300,000 is for Yap State. Kosrae is set to get $500,000, Yap $800,000, Pohnpei $1 million, and Chuuk $1,480,000. When this public law is posted to the FSM Congress website, you can review the breakdown of how these monies will be spent.