Title 1, Government

Department of Community and Cultural Affairs: Staff. The Department of Community and Cultural Affairs may employ staff as required to assist it in performing its duties, subject to budgetary appropriation. Source: PL 1-8, tit. 1, ch. 7, § 5, modified. Commission Comment: With res…

Division of Youth Services. There is in the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs a Division of Youth Services to be headed by an administrator. Source: PL 2-19, § 2, modified. Commission Comment: PL 2-19 took effect July 28, 1981. With respect to the reference to the “Dep…

Division of Youth Services: Purpose. The purpose of the Division of Youth Services is to plan, coordinate, develop, and implement programs and services designed to provide developmental and rehabilitative services to youth. The division is responsible for the provision of service…

Division of Youth Services: Definitions. (a) “Administrator” means the administrator of the Division of Youth Services. (b) “Delinquent child” means a juvenile who violates any law, ordinance, or regulation of the Commonwealth while under the age of 18; provided, that a juvenile …

Division of Youth Services: Duties and Responsibilities. The division shall: (a) Provide services and programs to the youth of the Commonwealth, including but not limited to recreational services, individual and group counseling, outreach, survival education, employability develo…

Division of Youth Services: Staff. Subject to budgetary appropriation, the Division of Youth Services may employ staff to assist it in performing its duties. Such staff shall be members of the civil service. Source: PL 3-67, § 3 (§ 11), modified.

Division of Youth Services: Grants. The division is hereby authorized to accept gifts, grants, or grants-in-aid from any source. Any funds received through gifts, grants, or grants-in-aid and their source, nature and value shall be separately documented and recorded for accountin…

Separation of Juveniles from Adults. Juveniles assigned to secure care shall be kept apart from adult offenders by at least sight and sound. Source: PL 3-67, § 3 (§ 9).

Access to Information. The division staff shall have access to all official records of the courts, schools, hospital and other public and private agencies, which concern youth who have been referred to the division and for whom the division staff believe it is necessary to conduc…

Designation of Division; Confidential Records; Regulatory Authority. The division shall carry out Commonwealth efforts to strengthen and improve the prevention, identification, and treatment of child abuse, neglect, and sexual molestation. The division shall maintain a confidenti…

Annual Report. The division shall prepare and transmit to the Governor and the legislature an annual report on child abuse, neglect, and sexual molestation. The annual report shall describe the specific measures adopted to implement the provisions of this article, as well as the …

Historic Preservation Office. (a) There is in the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs a Historic Preservation Office, to be headed by a Historic Preservation Officer. The Historic Preservation Officer shall be within the civil service and shall be qualified either by tra…

Historic Preservation Office: Duties. The Historic Preservation Office shall have the duty: (a) To implement the intent of this article and carry out the responsibilities and adhere to standards set forth for state historic preservation officers by the United States National Hist…

Commonwealth Recorder’s Office. (a) There is established within the CNMI Judiciary a Commonwealth Recorder’s Office. The Commonwealth Recorder under the general supervision of the Chief Justice, shall oversee the duties and responsibilities of the Commonwealth Recorder’s Office. …

Indexes: Title or Possession of Land; Content Summary; Marriage Records. (a) The Commonwealth Recorder’s Office shall maintain indexes for land transfers, mortgages, leases, judgments, and decrees affecting real property interests and other indexes as required by court rules. (b)…

Recordation of Documents; Fees. Upon payment of any applicable costs and service fees, any person may record documents with the Commonwealth Recorder’s Office. The Commonwealth Recorder’s Office shall provide public access to and make possible the reproduction of all such records…

Acknowledgment as Condition for Recording. All documents that must be recorded, including transfers, leases exceeding one year, and encumbrances affecting real property, must be acknowledged before a notary public or other office authorized by law to take acknowledgments and admi…

Effect of Failure to Record. No transfer of or encumbrance upon title to real estate or any interest therein, other than a lease for a term not exceeding one year, shall be valid: (a) Against any subsequent purchaser or mortgagee of the same real estate or interest, or any part t…

Land Commission Transfer of Documents to Recorder’s Office. The Land Commission shall promptly record all certificates of title at the Commonwealth Recorder’s Office. Source: PL 3-64, § 2; amended by PL 10-33, § 2; repealed and re-enacted by PL 21-39, § 3 (Jan. 19, 2021), modifie…

Counterfeit Ballots. Any person who knowingly, willfully and unlawfully prints, copies, imitates, or distributes or causes to be printed, copied, imitated, or distributed any unofficial ballot or any document that is so substantially similar in style or content to the official ba…

Unlawful Threats to Candidate or Family. Any person who directly or indirectly threatens or intimidates any candidate or his immediate family by physical means, bribery, extortion, or any other means so as to attempt or cause the candidate to withdraw from the election shall upon…

Unlawful Threats to Election Personnel. Any person who directly or indirectly threatens or intimidates the Commission, its designees, its representatives or its election workers so as to attempt or cause those persons not to perform their duties and responsibilities lawfully and …

Unlawful Registration. A person who signs an affidavit of registration knowing that he does not qualify to vote or who knowingly registers with intent to vote more than once or who registers in an election district in which he does not reside shall, upon conviction, be fined not …

Unlawful Campaign Activities. (a) No person may use the name of the government department or agency to campaign for or express support for a candidate running for public office; nor shall the buying or selling of fundraising materials in support of candidates for public office ta…

Unlawful Sale or Purchase of Alcohol on Election Day. (a) No person may sell, purchase or dispense any alcoholic beverages or liquor while the polls are open on the day of an election. Any person who knowingly and willfully violates this section shall upon conviction be fined not…

Criminal Offenses. (a) No officer or employee of the Commonwealth shall willfully and knowingly make or authorize any expenditure from or create or authorize any obligation or allotment under any appropriation or fund in excess of the amount available therein. (b) No officer or e…

Penalties for Violations. Every person who willfully and knowingly violates any provision of 1 CMC § 7701 is guilty of a crime, and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not more than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. Source: PL 3-68, § 702.

Appointment of Special Prosecutor. If the office of the Attorney General receives reports of an alleged violation of 1 CMC § 7701 by either the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General, or an employee in their respective offices, and the evidence is sufficient to form …

Regulations. An officer or employee of the Commonwealth having administrative control of any appropriation or allocation of resources, subject to the approval of the office of the Special Assistant for Planning and Budgeting, shall prescribe, by regulation, a system of administra…

Public Purpose Requirement. A public official authorized under 1 CMC § 7401 to expend, obligate, encumber, or otherwise commit public funds or properties shall take all steps reasonable under the circumstances to insure the funds and properties are committed for a public purpose …

Administrative Penalties. In addition to any penalty or liability under other law, any officer or employee of the Commonwealth who shall violate the provisions of this section or part shall be subject to appropriate administrative discipline, including, when circumstances warrant…

Duty to Report Violations of this Part. In the case of a violation of this section or part by an officer or employee of the Commonwealth, the head of the branch or department concerned shall immediately report to the Governor, to the office of the Attorney General, and to the pre…

Expiration of Appropriations. (a) Except as provided in this section and in 1 CMC §§ 7204(d), 7301(c) and 7302, no funds appropriated pursuant to annual appropriation acts, or by special appropriations acts shall be obligated or expended after the end of the fiscal year for which…

Construction of Appropriation Acts. No public law shall be construed to make an appropriation out of the Commonwealth General Fund, Treasury, or to authorize the execution of a contract involving the payment of money in excess of appropriations made by law, or to authorize any bo…

Audit. (a) An audit or audits may be conducted by the federal comptroller, the Public Auditor, or by independent auditors upon the concurrence of the Public Auditor. The audit may be done in the area of fiscal accountability, to verify the adequacy of internal controls and the ac…

Metered Services. (a) In making payments for commodities or services, the quantity of which is determined by metered readings, such as gas, electricity, water, and the like, and for telephone services, where the period of receipt covered by the charge begins in one fiscal year of…

Interagency Transfers. (a) Any agency may provide materials, supplies, equipment, work or services to any other agency by mutual agreement. Services so rendered may be on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis, as the heads of such agencies may agree. Materials, supplies, and eq…

Government Employment: Registration with Federal Selective Service System Required. Every male, who is at least 18 years old but has not yet attained the age of 26 years, seeking employment with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, any branch, agency, instrumentality…

Short Title. This chapter may be known and cited as the Public Employees Strike Act of 1991. Source: PL 7-43, § 1. Commission Comment: PL 7-43 took effect November 1, 1991.

Purpose. The intent and purpose of this chapter is to recognize that there exists a public policy in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands against strikes by public employees as a means of settling their labor disputes; that the uninterrupted and dedicated service of t…

Application. This chapter shall apply to all departments, instrumentalities, agencies, corporations and authorities of the Commonwealth government whether established by statute or the Commonwealth Constitution. For the purposes of this chapter, “Commonwealth government” includes…

Definitions. As used in this chapter: (a) “Department” means the Department of Commerce and Labor; (b) “Director” means the Director of the Department of Commerce and Labor; (c) “Officer” means the Public Employment Disputes Officer; (d) “Panel” means the Interest Arbitration Pan…

Prohibition. The right of public employees to engage in any strike, work slowdown or stoppage, or walk out is not granted. Source: PL 7-43, § 7.

Division of Dispute Resolution; Public Employment Disputes Officer. There is hereby established within the Department of Commerce and Labor a Division of Dispute Resolution. The director shall appoint a Public Employment Disputes Officer to administer the provisions of this chapt…

Declaration of Labor Dispute. The officer shall establish a procedure for filing a declaration of labor dispute. Such a declaration may be filed by either party; provided, however, that if the dispute is with respect to reclassification, promotion, wages or wage-related matters, …

Mediation. Upon receipt of a declaration of labor dispute, the officer shall select a mediator who may meet either jointly or separately with the parties and who shall take whatever steps necessary to persuade the parties to resolve their differences and effect an agreement. The …