All Roll Calls
Yes: 8 • No: 0
Northern Mariana IslandsHB 24-124th Northern Mariana Islands Legislature (2025-2026)House
To amend provisions in Title 6, Chapter 3, Sexual Offenses, Article 1. General Provisions, relating to sexual abuse/assault of minors.
Sponsored By: Joseph Arriola Flores (Independent)
Enacted
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Clearer consent protections in sexual offense cases
Consent means words or actions that show willingness for a specific act of sexual penetration or contact. A person does not have to resist to establish a lack of consent. Consent can be withdrawn before or during the act. The law also updates definitions of incapacity, mental inability, authority, sexual acts, contact, penetration, victims, and voyeurism. These definitions apply throughout the sexual-offense chapter unless the context requires otherwise; authority includes school employees and contractors.
Courts can consider more abuse evidence
In cases under the sexual-offenses article, courts can consider an offender's other acts of the same nature. Those acts can involve the same person or someone else, even without a charge or conviction under the article. In domestic-violence cases, courts can also consider the offender's other domestic-violence crimes against the same or another person. This includes cases about interfering with a domestic-violence report. These evidence rules do not themselves decide guilt.
New protections against sexual spying and recordings
Knowingly viewing or recording someone without their knowledge for sexual stimulation is illegal when they reasonably expect privacy while undressed, partly dressed, having sex, using the toilet, or when viewing otherwise hidden genitals, buttocks, or a female breast; the penalty is up to 5 years in prison, a fine up to $2,000, or both. The law also bans capturing, disclosing, showing, distributing, attempting or threatening to distribute, or publishing sexual-stimulation recordings obtained through a privacy invasion or made without the person's consent or knowledge. That offense carries up to 20 years in prison, a fine up to $10,000, or both. Each recording shown or shared without consent or knowledge is a separate violation, and parole is unavailable until two-thirds of the minimum sentence has been served. Exceptions cover security filming in posted areas, correctional or security filming, law-enforcement investigations, and child-monitoring devices used in a residence.
School staff cannot have sex with students
School employees and contractors cannot engage in sexual acts with students at an institution where they work or are contracted. The rule covers educational institutions serving grades 6 through 12. Sexual acts are defined in 6 CMC § 1317(6). A violation carries 2 to 5 years in prison, a fine up to $2,000, or both.
Stronger protections against sexual contact with minors
Sexual contact involving someone under 15 is second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, including helping or encouraging the act. The law also covers these offender and victim ages: offender 18, victim 15 or younger; offender 19, victim 16 or younger; offender 20, victim 17 or younger; offender 21 or older, victim under 18. The penalty is 2 to 15 years in prison, a fine up to $10,000, or both. Parole is unavailable until two-thirds of the minimum sentence has been served.
Stronger protections against sexual penetration of minors
Sexual penetration involving someone under 15 is first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, including helping or encouraging the act. The law also covers these offender and victim ages: offender 18, victim under 15; offender 19, victim under 16; offender 20, victim under 17; offender 21 or older, victim under 18. The penalty is 8 to 30 years in prison, a fine up to $50,000, or both. Mandatory sentencing rules under 6 CMC § 4102 also apply.
Age defenses allowed but barred under 16
Defendants in minor-abuse and school-student sexual-act cases can raise a defense based on a reasonable belief about the victim's age. They must have reasonably believed the victim was at least the age specified for that offense. This defense is unavailable when the victim was under 16 at the time. The rule applies to prosecutions under 6 CMC §§ 1306–1308.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Joseph Arriola Flores
Independent • House
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 7/14/2025
Roll call on HB 24-1
Yes: 8 • No: 0
House vote • 5/15/2025
House Final Reading — Passed (HS1)
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
P.L. 24-08
8/5/2025HouseSenate Final Reading — Passed
7/14/2025SenateSenate Report Action — Approved
7/14/2025SenateHouse Final Reading — Passed (HS1)
5/15/2025HouseHouse First Reading — Passed (HS1)
5/15/2025HouseHouse Report Action — Approved
5/15/2025HouseIntroduced
2/14/2025House
Bill Text
24-18
2/14/2025
HB 24-1
2/14/2025
P.L. 24-08
2/14/2025
SCR 24-4 (HS1)
2/14/2025
[HS1]
2/14/2025
Related Bills
HB 24-108, To provide a Budget Plan of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for Fiscal Year 2027 and make appropriations for the operations and activities of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, its agencies, instrumentalities, and independent programs, and to provide budget authority for government corporations; and for other purposes.
HLB 24-62, To appropriate $500,000.00 from revenues collected for the Third Senatorial District pursuant to Public Law 20-59; and for other purposes.
SB 24-48, Establish a Division of Customs and Biosecurity within the DOF
HB 24-84, To authorize the expenditure of $2,105,563.00 identified by the Governor as a surplus from Fiscal Year 2025 revenues that shall be appropriated by the Legislature to the Public School System and to the 25% Retirees’ Pension Obligation.
HB 24-74, To appropriate funds derived from trust interest income from the Marianas Public Land Trust towards payment of household allotments of Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) benefits for November 2025.
HB 24-63, To amend Title 4 sections 1991 to 1995 relating to the 3% construction tax on gross revenues derived from certain non-residential construction projects and to enact a new section 1996 pertaining to Applicability; and for other purposes.