TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 11: POLITICAL STATUS
§ 11101. Second Marianas Political Status Commission. (a) There is hereby created the Second Marianas Political Status Commission, referred to in this chapter as “the Commission.” (b) The Commission shall consist of nine voting members and two non-voting ex-officio members selected as follows: (1) The Governor, in consultation with the Mayor of Rota, the First Senatorial District, shall appoint two persons who shall be residents and domiciled on the island of Rota; and (2) The Governor, in consultation with the Mayor of Tinian and Aguiguan, the Second Senatorial District, shall appoint two persons who shall be residents and domiciled on the islands of Tinian and Aguiguan; and (3) The Governor, in consultation with the Mayors of Saipan and the islands North of Saipan, shall appoint five persons who shall be domiciled on the island of Saipan and the islands North of Saipan; and (c) No person shall be appointed to or serve on the Commission unless he or she is over twenty-five years of age, has never been convicted of a felony, or if convicted, has been fully pardoned, and who is a United States Citizen and has been domiciled in the Northern Mariana Islands for at least five consecutive years at the time of appointment. Such person shall have at least good knowledge of the Northern Mariana’s political history, the people’s desire to attain full, meaningful and a well-defined self-government, the Covenant that Established the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, the status of the U.S. Territories, and other political status attained by former Trust Territory District in Micronesia. (1) The appointment of the members of the Commission shall be made no later than sixty calendar days from the effective date of this chapter. (2) The Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate shall be exofficio-non-voting members of the Commission and shall serve on the Commission until the work of the Commission is completed. (3) The term of each person appointed by the Governor to serve on the Commission shall commence upon his/her appointment and shall serve the Commission until the work of the Commission is completed. (d) A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, no later than thirty calendar days following the creation of such vacancy. (e) The members of the Commission shall be compensated at the rate established in 1 CMC § 8247(a), as may be amended. All members of the Commission shall be entitled to reimbursement for reasonable, necessary and actual expenses incurred by them in the course and scope of their work for the Commission, in accordance with the rate then in effect of employees of the executive branch of the Commonwealth Government. The Chairperson of the Commission shall certify to the Secretary of Finance all claims for payment of such reimbursement.
TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 11: POLITICAL STATUS
(f) The Commission shall be deemed to be operational upon the appointment of all its members, and shall continue in existence until the Commission submits its findings and recommendation(s) to and accepted by Legislature; and, by a joint resolution, certified that the work of the Commission has been fully completed; thereby, dissolving the Commission officially. Source: PL 19-63 § 4(101) (Aug. 26, 2016), modified. Commission Comment: The Commission numbered this section pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(a). The Commission substituted “this chapter” for “this Act” in (a) and (c)(1) pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(d). The Commission struck the comma after “and” in (b)(3) and changed “it” to “its” in (f) pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(g).