Expenditure of Appropriated Funds. No expenditure of Commonwealth funds shall be made unless the funds are appropriated in currently effective annual appropriation acts or pursuant to 1 CMC § 7204(d). No Commonwealth official may make an obligation or contract for the expenditure of unappropriated Commonwealth funds, unless provided by law or approved in advance by joint resolution of the legislature. The following public officials may expend, obligate, encumber, or otherwise commit public funds: (a) For the executive branch, the Governor or the heads of offices, departments, and agencies of the executive branch as provided by law, or, in the absence of any provision, by an express designation by the Governor, except as specified below: (b) For the office of the Public Auditor, the Public Auditor or an authorized designee. (c) For the legislative branch, as follows: (1) For the operations and activities of the House of Representatives, other than operations and activities of the minority, the Speaker of the House of Representatives or an authorized designee. (2) For the operations and activities of the Senate, other than operations and activities of the minority, the President of the Senate or an authorized designee. (3) For the operations and activities of the minority if any, in either the House of Representatives or the Senate, the minority leader of the body or an authorized designee. (4) For the operations and activities of the Rota and Tinian delegation offices, the chairmen of the respective delegations or their authorized designees. (5) For joint operations, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate, or their authorized designees. (d) For the office of the Representative to the United States, the Representative to the United States or an authorized designee. (e) For the judicial branch, the Chief Justice or an authorized designee. (f) For the operation of an office of a mayor, the mayor or an authorized designee. (g) For capital improvement projects, the Governor or an authorized designee; or such other persons as are authorized by law. (h) For the operation of the Civil Service Commission, the chairman of the commission or an authorized designee. (i) For the operation of the Marianas Public Land Trust, the chairman or an authorized designee. (j) For the operation of the Marianas Public Land Corporation, the chairman of the Marianas Public Land Corporation or an authorized designee. (k) For the operation of the Board of Elections, the chairman of the Board of Elections or an authorized designee.
(l) For the operation of the Mariana Islands Housing Authority, the chairman of the Mariana Islands Housing Authority or an authorized designee. (m) For the operation of the Northern Marianas Retirement Fund, the chairman of the board or an authorized designee. (n) For the operation of the Marianas Visitors Authority, the chairman of the board or an authorized designee. (o) For the operations of the Commonwealth Ports Authority, the chairman of the board or an authorized designee. (p) For the operation of the Economic Development Loan Fund or its successor, the chairman of the board or an authorized designee. (q) For all other agencies, and instrumentalities of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Governor or as provided by law. (r) Northern Mariana Islands Social Security Administration, the Social Security Administrator or his designee. Source: PL 3-68, § 401; amended by PL 4-70, § 402; subsection (n) amended by PL 11-15, § 24. Commission Comment: With respect to several officials and agencies referred to in this section, see Executive Order 94-3 (effective August 23, 1994), reorganizing the executive branch, changing agency names and official titles, and effecting other changes, set forth in the Commission comment to 1 CMC § 2001. PL 11-15, § 24 changed “Marianas Visitors Bureau” in subsection (n) of this section to “Marianas Visitors Authority”. PL 11-15 took effect on June 17, 1998.