Title 1 — Government

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 8: PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT § 8541. Representation by a Public Member of a Board, Commission, or Council. (a) A public member of a board, commission, or council may represent a client or constituent before a Commonwealth governmental entity if the member fil…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 8: PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT § 8542. Restraint from Deliberation Where Contract Conflict is Present. A public official or public employee shall not participate in obtaining or granting a public contract in which the official or employee or a member of the off…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 8: PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT § 8543. Postemployment Restrictions. (a) No former public official or public employee shall assist or represent any person other than the Commonwealth in any judicial, legislative, or administrative proceeding involving the Common…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 8: PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT § 8544. Negotiating for Nongovernment Employment. A public official or public employee of the Commonwealth government may not participate through discussion, decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, the rendering of advice…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 8: PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT § 8545. Limitation of Actions. The statute of limitations for bringing an administrative or judicial action pursuant to this chapter shall be five years. Source: PL 8-11, § 1 (§ 8445).

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9301. Lottery Commission: Established. There is in the Commonwealth government a Commonwealth Lottery Commission, which shall supervise, organize, and operate a public lottery in the Commonwealth at the earliest practicab…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9302. Lottery Commission: Composition. The commission shall consist of: (a) The Director of Finance or his designee. (b) The Attorney General or his designee. (c) The Director of Commerce or his designee. (d) The Commissi…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9303. Lottery Commission: Procedures. A majority of the members of the commission constitute a quorum. No official business of the commission may be conducted without a quorum being present, and no official action may be …

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9304. Lottery Commission: Executive Secretary. (a) The Director of Finance or his designee shall be the Executive Secretary of the commission. The Executive Secretary shall be responsible for the administration of this ch…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9305. Lottery Commission: Duties and Responsibilities. The Commonwealth Lottery Commission has the following duties and responsibilities: (a) To keep records of all official actions, expenditures, funds and revenues recei…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9306. Lottery Commission: Rules and Regulations. The Commonwealth Lottery Commission shall promulgate regulations in the manner prescribed by law providing for the following: (a) The type of lottery and the manner in whic…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9307. Lottery Commission: Prize Allotment. There shall be reserved and deposited in the Commonwealth Lottery FundPrize Trust account, to be apportioned for payment of prizes to the winners, such set amount, minimum balanc…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9308. Lottery Commission: Reports of the Executive Secretary. The Executive Secretary shall make a monthly report to the Governor and the legislature. The monthly report shall include the total lottery revenues, prize dis…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9309. Lottery Commission: Abuse and Corrections of Lottery Laws and Regulations. (a) The commission shall report immediately to the Governor and the legislature any matter that requires immediate change in the laws of the…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9310. Lottery Commission: Power to Contract. The commission may enter into contracts for the supervision, organization, and operation of the lottery, or any part thereof, and into contracts for the promotion of the lotter…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9311. Lottery Commission: Personnel. The commission shall use such personnel as necessary from the Department of Finance or shall contract for such full-time or part-time personnel as necessary to implement this chapter. …

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9312. Lottery Commission: Compelling of Testimony and Records. Upon petition of the commission, the Commonwealth Trial Court may issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents, books…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9313. Lottery Commission: Licenses. (a) Before issuing a license, the commission shall consider factors such as: (1) The financial responsibility and security of the person and his or her business activity; (2) The approp…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9314. Lottery Commission: Payment of Prizes. The right of any person to a prize is not assignable, except that payment of any prize may be paid to the estate of a deceased prize winner or to a person pursuant to an approp…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9315. Lottery Commission: Unclaimed Prizes. The commission shall establish the time and manner in which prize winners are to claim their prizes. If a claim is not made for the money within the time so established, all rig…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9316. Lottery Commission: Delivery of Funds. The commission shall establish procedures and regulations for the collection of funds raised by the lottery, and for regular reporting and accountings thereof. Source: PL 3-60,…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9317. Commonwealth Lottery Fund. (a) A special fund to be known as the “Commonwealth Lottery Fund” is hereby created which shall be divided into three accounts: (1) A Prize Trust account; (2) An Administration account; an…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9318. Use of Commonwealth Lottery Fund. If a Commonwealth Lottery Fund-Prize Trust account is established, the commission may draw from the funds deposited pursuant to 1 CMC § 9307 those sums of money needed to pay prizes…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9319. Compensation of Commission Members. Each member of the commission shall receive the sum of $20 for attendance at any meeting of the commission, and shall be reimbursed for actual travel, subsistence and out-of-pocke…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9320. Audit of Commission. The Public Auditor shall conduct quarterly post audits as the legislature deems necessary, and shall have access and authority to examine any and all records of the commission, its distributing …

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9321. Inapplicability of Chapter to Religious and Nonprofit Groups. The provisions of this chapter do not apply to the activities, such as lotteries and raffles, of religious and other nonprofit organizations. Source: PL …

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9322. Prohibited Acts. (a) Operation of Lottery. No persons other than those licensed by the commission may operate or be engaged in the operation of the lottery. (b) Sale to Minors Prohibited. No person under the age of …

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 9: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS § 9323. Penalties. Any person who willfully violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned for a period of not more than five years or be fined not more than $5,000, or both. Source: PL…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 1: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH CHAPTER 4. Enactment of Local Laws. § 1401. Short Title and Purpose. This chapter may be cited as the Local Law Act of 1983. Source: PL 3-77, § 1, modified. Commission Comment: PL 3-77 took effect September 21, 1983. See N.M.I. C…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 1: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH § 1402. Definitions. As used in this chapter: (a) “Local bill” means a bill that, if enacted, becomes a law pertaining exclusively to matters within one senatorial district, and may include but is not limited to: (1) Speed limits…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 1: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH § 1403. Introduction of Local Bills. A local bill may be introduced by one or more senators or representatives from the senatorial district to which the bill is intended to apply. Local revenue or appropriation bills shall be int…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 1: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH § 1404. Local Legislative Delegations. (a) The following legislative delegations are established: (1) The Rota legislative delegation, comprised of the senators and representative from Rota; (2) The Tinian legislative delegation,…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 1: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH § 1405. Review by Mayor. (a) No local bill or local appropriation or revenue bill may be enacted by a legislative delegation until the mayor from the respective senatorial district has had an opportunity to review and comment on …

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 1: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH § 1406. Format of Local Bill. Each local bill shall contain the information required to be contained in a bill pursuant to the official rules of that house of the Commonwealth Legislature in which the local bill was introduced, e…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 1: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH § 1407. Format of Local Appropriation or Revenue Bills. Appropriation or revenue bills shall be introduced in the House of Representatives and shall contain the information required pursuant to the official rules of the House, ex…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 1: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH § 1408. Revenues Derived From Local Revenue Laws. (a) There is hereby established the following local fund accounts for each of the Senatorial Districts: (1) Rota Local Funds, (2) Tinian Local Funds, and (3) Saipan Local funds. (…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 1: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH § 1409. Amendment of Local Laws. Local laws, whether enacted by the Delegation or by initiative, may be amended, altered repealed, superceded or altered in any fashion by the enactment of a subsequent local law enacted by the Del…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 2: EXECUTIVE BRANCH § 2201. Office of Public Defender. There is in the Commonwealth government an office of the Public Defender, to be headed by a Public Defender. Source: PL 1-8, tit. 1, ch. 4, § 1, modified.

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 2: EXECUTIVE BRANCH § 2202. Public Defender: Appointment. The Public Defender shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. No person may be appointed as Public Defender unless the person has: (a) Graduated from an Engl…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 2: EXECUTIVE BRANCH § 2203. Public Defender: Duties. The Public Defender shall have the following powers and duties: (a) To defend indigent defendants in criminal cases before the courts of the Commonwealth or before courts having appellate jurisdicti…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 2: EXECUTIVE BRANCH § 2204. Public Defender: Eligibility. The Public Defender shall establish eligibility criteria and may promulgate rules and regulations regarding eligibility criteria, to take effect upon their approval by the Governor. The determi…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 2: EXECUTIVE BRANCH § 2205. Public Defender: Staff. The Public Defender may employ staff, including one or more assistant public defenders, as required to assist in performing the duties of the Public Defender, subject to budgetary appropriation. No p…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 3: JUDICIAL BRANCH § 3401. Court Administration. (a) Administrative responsibility for the Commonwealth judiciary is vested in the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth, under the direction of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. (b) All employees of t…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 3: JUDICIAL BRANCH § 3402. Budget Responsibilities. (a) The Chief Justice, in consultation with the Commonwealth judiciary, shall be responsible for preparing estimates of the budget requirements of the Commonwealth judiciary and presenting those esti…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 3: JUDICIAL BRANCH § 3403. Rule-Making Authority. (a) The Chief Justice may propose rules governing appeals from the Superior Court, judicial ethics, admission to practice before the Commonwealth judiciary and governance of the members of the bar of t…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 3: JUDICIAL BRANCH § 3404. Written Opinions. Decisions of the Supreme Court and of the Superior Court which determine a case and decisions which determine a substantial question of procedure or substantive law shall be set forth in written opinions, w…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 3: JUDICIAL BRANCH § 3405. Justice Center Fund. (a) There is hereby established a revolving fund within the Department of Finance that shall be known and designated as the Justice Center Fund Revolving Account. This revolving account shall be accounte…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 3: JUDICIAL BRANCH § 3406. Probation Services Fund. (a) There is hereby established a special fund within the Department of Finance which shall be known and designated as the Probation Services Fund. (b) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, all pr…

TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT DIVISION 3: JUDICIAL BRANCH § 3407. Drug Court Revolving Fund. (a) There is hereby established a special fund within the Department of Finance, which shall be known and designated as the Drug Court Revolving Fund. The fund shall be accounted for separately fro…

TITLE 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS § 411. Legislative Finding. In the emergence of the Northern Marianas as a viable community, there were exemplary achievements, acts and deeds by men and women, young and old, indigenous and nonindigenous, which contributed to making what the Commonwea…