Title 1, Government

Mayor: Additional Duties. A mayor shall also have the power and duty to: (a) Appoint the necessary staff for which appropriations have been made by the legislature. (b) Create or abolish positions within the office of mayor as provided by law and for which appropriations have bee…

Mayor: Duties During Emergencies. If the Governor declares a state of emergency pursuant to N.M.I. Const. art. III, § 10, the several mayors shall act as the principal local officials responsible for mobilization of resources and meeting emergency conditions in their respective c…

Mayor: Contingency Fund. The legislature shall provide in the annual budget for the executive branch a contingency fund to be expended by the mayor for public purposes as the mayor may deem proper. Source: PL 1-4, § 5, modified; amended by PL 4-23, § 3.

Fees for Services. The offices of the Mayors are hereby authorized to assess reasonable fees, through promulgated rules and regulations, for the provision of services under section 1 CMC § 5107(h), except that indigent residents, upon proof of indigence, shall be exempt from payi…

Election Commission; Establishment. There is hereby established an Independent Election Commission in the Commonwealth government to be known as the “Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Election Commission.” Source: DL 5-19, § 4, modified; repealed and reenacted by PL 12…

Election Commission: Composition. The Commission shall have nine (9) members appointed by the Governor subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. Five members shall be residents of Saipan and the islands north of Saipan, two members shall be residents of Rota, and two membe…

Election Commission: Term of Appointment. (a) Members shall serve a term of four years, except that of the members first appointed, two shall serve for a term of one year, two shall serve for two years, two shall serve for three years, and three shall serve for four years. Upon t…

Election Commission: Election of Chairperson. The Commission shall annually elect one of its members as Chairperson and one of its members as Vice-Chairperson, by a majority vote. Source: DL 5-19, § 4, modified; repealed and reenacted by PL 12-18, § 2 (6104); amended by PL 17-11 …

Election Commission: Duties. The Commission shall have the following powers and duties: (a) To appoint an Executive Director to be its executive officer. (b) To administer all general, primary, local, and special elections, including questions pertaining to initiatives, referenda…

Election Commission: Quorum and Attendance. (a) Five (5) members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum to conduct official business; provided, however, that at least one member from each senatorial district is present. All decisions of the Commission shall be made by three-…

Election Commission: Compensation and Expenses. Members of the Commission are to receive compensation in the amount prescribed by 1 CMC § 8247(a), (b) and (c). Source: DL 5-19, § 4, modified; repealed and reenacted by PL 12-18, § 2 (6107).

Election Commission: Restriction on Activities. No Commission member shall be a candidate for public office or hold an elected position or a position which is filled by appointment by the Governor. Commission members and employees shall not campaign during their tenure. A Commiss…

Election Commission: Executive Director; Power and Duties. (a) The executive director shall be responsible for the administration of this part and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. He shall supervise all Commonwealth elections. He shall be in full charge and contr…

Election Commission: Administrative Staff. The executive director is authorized to employ such staff as may be required to supervise Commonwealth elections; maximize registration of eligible voters throughout the Commonwealth; maintain data concerning registered voters, elections…

Election Commission: Exemption from Civil Service. (a) Beginning 90 days after the effective date of this part, the CNMI Election Commission shall no longer be part of the Civil Service System and the employment of Commission staff shall no longer be subject to Civil Service Rule…

Title. This chapter may be cited as the Executive Transition Act. Source: PL 3-53, § 1; renumbered. Commission Comment: The enactment of PL 12-18, the Northern Mariana Islands Election Law, on September 14, 2000, required the renumbering of the Executive Transition Act from § 660…

Office of the Governor-Elect. There is hereby established the office of the Governor-elect. The office shall come into being on the date upon which the Board of Elections certifies the election of a Governor who does not succeed himself in office. For purposes of this section, an…

Office of the Governor-Elect: Employees and Duties. The office of the Governor-elect shall be staffed by such temporary employees as are appointed by the Governor-elect. The office shall work together with the incumbent Governor and executive branch officials to provide for the o…

Office of the Governor-Elect: Access to Information. To further such cooperation, the head of each department, office, board, commission, instrumentality, or other entity of the executive branch, and the head of each independent entity of the Commonwealth government including any…

Office of the Governor-Elect: Employees. The office of the Governor-elect may engage the services of private firms, experts, consultants, and other professionals and may employ such staff as necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. No person employed under this sectio…

Office of the Governor-Elect: Committee on Transition. (a) For the purpose of carrying out the duties of the office of the Governorelect, the Governor-elect may establish a committee on transition, the members of which shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Govern…

Office of the Governor-Elect: Facilities. The Special Assistant for Administration may provide, upon request, when such is available, to the office of the Governor-elect for use in connection with the preparation for the assumption of official duties as Governor, necessary servic…

Office of the Governor-Elect: Inauguration Ceremonies. The office of the Governor-elect shall provide for the inauguration of the new Governor and Lieutenant Governor in appropriate ceremonies. Source: PL 3-53, § 5; renumbered.

Office of the Governor-Elect: Termination of Activities. The office of the Governor-elect shall cease operations upon the inauguration of the new Governor; provided, that the staff shall prepare and submit a financial summary and activities report to the Governor and legislature …

Appropriations and Reprogramming. The Governor shall include in his budget submission to the legislature, for each fiscal year in which his regular term of office will expire, an identified appropriation for carrying out the purposes of this chapter. The funds subsequently approp…

Short Title. This part may be cited as the Planning and Budgeting Act of 1983. Source: PL 3-68, § 101. Commission Comment: PL 3-68 took effect October 15, 1984.

Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Commonwealth is from October 1 of one year through September 30 of the next year and shall be named by the latter year. Source: PL 3-68, § 102.

Definitions. (a) “Accumulated surplus” means funds remaining or estimated to remain available at the end of a fiscal year for future spending. (b) “Agency” means all offices, departments, agencies, commissions, boards, bureaus, and divisions of all branches of the Commonwealth go…

Short Title. This chapter may be cited as the Government Deposit Safety Act of 1984. Source: PL 4-33, § 1. Commission Comment: PL 4-33 took effect March 20, 1985. Pursuant to its authority to rearrange sections to fit harmoniously within the code, in the January 1997 revision the…

Findings and Definition. (a) The Commonwealth Legislature finds that the deposits of the Commonwealth are subject to an unwarranted risk without full collateralization of deposits. By requiring collateralization, this chapter will bring the Commonwealth into conformity with Unite…

Deposit Safety Requirements. All funds in the Commonwealth Treasury may be deposited by the Secretary of Finance to the credit of the Commonwealth government in any bank which the secretary may select pursuant to this chapter and any sums so deposited shall be deemed to be in the…

Authorization to Pledge Assets. A bank may pledge its assets to: (a) Enable it to act as agent for the sale of obligations of the United States or Commonwealth; (b) Secure borrowed funds; and (c) Secure deposits when the depositor is required by law or agreement to obtain such se…

Regulations. The Director of Finance may issue regulations to interpret, execute and enforce the purposes of this chapter. Source: PL 4-33, § 5. Commission Comment: With respect to the reference to the “Director of Finance,” see Executive Order 94-3 (effective August 23, 1994), r…

Bank Preferences. (a) In determining where public funds may be deposited, the Director of Finance shall give preference to banks operating in the Commonwealth that comply with 1 CMC § 7723 and offer the best possible interest rate for the term required. (b) The director shall giv…

Provisions of Depository Contracts. Any acceptance by a depository of government funds shall constitute an acceptance of the provisions of 1 CMC § 7723 and those provisions shall be deemed a part of and incorporated into the contract of deposit without necessity for specific ment…

Penalties. (a) Any person, except a bank, who knowingly violates 1 CMC § 7723 shall be imprisoned for not more than five years and fined not less than $2,000 or both. (b) Any bank who knowingly violates 1 CMC § 7723 shall be fined not less than $5,000 for each day of noncomplianc…

Short Title. This part may be cited as the Commonwealth Auditing Act of 1983. Source: PL 3-91, § 100. Commission Comment: PL 3-91 took effect January 4, 1983. Pursuant to its authority to rearrange sections to fit harmoniously within the code, in the January 1997 revision, the Co…

Purposes. It is the purpose of this part to implement N.M.I. Const. art. III, § 12 by creating an office of the Public Auditor to conduct audits of all Commonwealth government agencies and activities and to assign such additional duties to the Public Auditor as the legislature de…

Definitions. As used in this part: (a) “Agency” means any entity established or funded by law of the Commonwealth government or a local government. Agency includes the following entities and their officers, directors, employees, and independent contractors: any authority, board, …

Civil Service Commission: Composition. There is in the Commonwealth government a Civil Service Commission composed of seven members to be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. No member of the commission may be a candidate for public office or hold …

Civil Service Commission: Tenure. Six members shall serve a term of six years, staggered in such a manner that the term of one member expires each year, and one member shall serve a term of four years expiring concurrently with the term of the Governor. Vacancies shall be filled …

Civil Service Commission: Meetings. The commission shall meet at least once each calendar quarter, with the date, time and place to be designated by the chairman or a majority of the Commission members. All decisions of the Commission shall be made by a vote of at least four memb…

Civil Service Commission: Compensation. Members of the commission shall be compensated in accordance with 1 CMC § 8247. Source: PL 1-9, § 3, modified; repealed and reenacted by PL 17-80 § 3 (8114) (August 31, 2012).

Civil Service Commission: Office. The commission may obtain suitable office facilities on Saipan and establish branch offices on the other inhabited islands of the Commonwealth. Source: PL 1-9, § 3; amended by PL 1-29, § 1, modified; repealed and reenacted by PL 17-80 § 3 (8115) …

Civil Service Commission: Powers and Duties. The Commission shall re present the pub lic interest in assuring compliance with basic policy concerning personnel administration and insuring that the integrity of the sy stem is preserved. To this end, the Commission shall have the f…

Civil Service Commission: Rules and Regulations. Pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (1 CMC §§ 9101 et seq.), the Civil Service Commission shall prepare reasonable rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this part. The rules and regulations shall: (a) Regula…