Article III — Executive Branch

The executive power of the Commonwealth shall be vested in a governor who shall be responsible for the faithful execution of the laws.

The governor shall be qualified to vote in the Commonwealth, at least thirty-five years of age, and a resident and domiciliary of the Commonwealth for at least ten years immediately preceding the date on which the governor takes office. A different period of residence and domicil…

The lieutenant governor shall have the same qualifications as required for the office of governor and shall perform those duties specified in this article and those assigned by the governor or provided by law. Whenever the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, the governor sha…

The governor and lieutenant governor shall be elected at large within the Commonwealth for a term of office of four years. The governor and lieutenant governor shall be elected jointly with each voter casting a single vote applicable to both offices. After the Commonwealth Electi…

The governor shall receive an annual salary of twenty thousand dollars and the lieutenant governor an annual salary of eighteen thousand dollars. Both shall receive reasonable allowances for expenses provided by law. Upon the recommendation of the advisory commission on compensat…

The governor or lieutenant governor may not serve in another Commonwealth position or receive compensation for performance of official duties or from any governmental body except as provided by Section 5.

In case of the removal, death, or resignation of the governor, the lieutenant governor shall become governor and the president of the senate shall become lieutenant governor. If the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are both vacant, the president of the senate shall bec…

(a) When the governor is physically absent from the Commonwealth, the lieutenant governor shall be acting governor. If the lieutenant governor is also absent or is otherwise unavailable, the presiding officer of the senate shall be acting governor. (b) When the governor is unable…

(a) The governor shall submit to the legislature a proposed annual balanced budget for the following fiscal year. The proposed balanced budget shall describe anticipated revenues of the Commonwealth and recommend expenditures of Commonwealth funds. The anticipated revenues may no…

The governor may declare a state of emergency in the case of invasion, civil disturbance, natural disaster, or other calamity as provided by law, and may mobilize available resources to respond to that emergency.

There is in the Commonwealth government an Office of the Attorney General to be headed by an attorney general. The Office of the Attorney General is established as an independent agency within the executive branch of the Commonwealth government. The attorney general shall be elec…

The governor shall appoint a public auditor with the advice and consent of each house of the legislature. The public auditor shall audit the receipt, possession and disbursement of public funds by the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the government, an instrumental…

[Repealed.]

Each principal department shall be under the supervision of the governor and, unless otherwise provided by law, shall be headed by a single executive. The governor shall appoint the heads of executive departments with the advice and consent of the senate. The governor may remove …

Executive branch offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the Commonwealth government and their respective functions and duties shall be allocated by law among and within not more than fifteen principal departments so as to group them so far as practicable according to major pu…

[Repealed.]

(a) The governor shall delegate to a mayor elected under the provisions of Article VI, Section 2, responsibility for the execution of Commonwealth laws as deemed appropriate, and the administration of public services in the island or islands in which the mayor has been elected. S…

(a) The governor shall appoint an executive assistant for Carolinian affairs who is acceptable to the Carolinian community within the Commonwealth. (b) The executive assistant shall be a member of the governor’s council created under article VI, section 5, and shall advise the go…

The governor and lieutenant governor are subject to impeachment as provided in article II, section 8, of this Constitution for treason, commission of a felony, corruption or neglect of duty.

(a) Membership in an employee retirement system of the Commonwealth shall constitute a contractual relationship. Accrued benefits of this system shall be neither diminished nor impaired. (b) An employee who has acquired not less than twenty years of creditable service under the C…

In every case where the governor appoints a board or commission to perform a regulatory or administrative function or direct the activities of an agency, authority, or public or quasi-public corporation in the performance of a regulatory or administrative function, the members of…

(a) There is hereby established an Office of Special Assistant to the Governor for Women’s Affairs. The governor shall appoint a person, who is qualified by virtue of education and experience, to be the special assistant. The special assistant may be removed only for cause. (b) I…

(a) There is hereby established the office of resident executive to the governor for indigenous affairs. The governor shall appoint a person who is of Northern Marianas descent with the necessary and sufficient education and experience to be resident executive, with the advice an…