Title 1, Government

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 453. Commonwealth State Funeral: Persons Entitled. The following persons shall be entitled to a Commonwealth state funeral: (a) Governor, former Governors; (b) Lieutenant Governor, former Lieutenant Governors; (c) Mayors of the Commonwealth of the Northern Ma…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 454. Commonwealth State Funeral: Planning. The Special Assistant for Administration shall adopt procedures for and shall coordinate with the Director of Public Safety the planning of each state funeral. Source: PL 3-85, § 5; amended by PL 11-92, § 2.

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 455. Commonwealth State Funeral: Public Expense. A Commonwealth state funeral is a public expense and may in no event exceed $3,000. Expenses for state funerals shall be paid out of a special fund, which shall be periodically supplemented by appropriations fr…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 456. Commonwealth State Funeral: Procedure and Protocol. A Commonwealth state funeral shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (a) Honor guard; (b) Half mast of the Commonwealth flag; (c) Gun salute: (1) Current and former Governors—21 gun salute;…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 457. Commonwealth State Funeral: Objections by Family or Deceased. No funeral service, nor any part pursuant to this article, shall take place over the objection of the deceased's family or contrary to the known wishes of the deceased. Source: PL 3-85, § 8, m…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 461. Establishment. There is hereby established a monument in memory of those beloved ones who were lost at sea surrounding the Northern Marianas and whose bodies were not recovered. Source: PL 5-45, § 2. Commission Comment: PL 5-45, the “Bodies Lost to the S…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 462. Location and Real Estate. (a) Location of the monument shall be decided by the Governor’s Special Assistant for Indigenous Affairs; provided, however, that the site is acceptable to a majority of the families of those who were lost at sea and whose bodie…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 463. Custodial Agency. (a) The Office of Indigenous Affairs shall have the responsibility of designing the monument, construction and preparation of grounds and access, upkeep, repairs and maintenance of the facility for as long as this agency exists, or as p…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 464. Longevity. The Tomb of the Sea shall be considered a Commonwealth sacred shrine and shall be maintained in perpetuity. Source: PL 5-45, § 5.

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 465. Name. The official name of the monument shall be “Naftan I Tasi.” Source: PL 5-45, § 6.

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 466. Enshrinement of Souls. Within 60 days of the date of the declaration of a person lost at sea as officially deceased, the custodial agency shall cause the name of the deceased to be inscribed on the monument and unveil that name with a solemn ceremony. No…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 467. Annual Day of Observance. November 2 of each year is hereby declared “Ha’anen Naftan I Tasi.” The custodial agency shall announce and conduct a solemn nondenominational memorial service at the monument and is empowered to request such assistance from oth…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 468. Funding. Funds for the design, construction and inauguration ceremonies of Naftan I Tasi monument shall be obligated upon the submittal by the custodial agency of final cost estimates. Source: PL 5-45, § 9.

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 469. Annual Budget Request. The custodian agency shall submit its annual request of funding for maintenance of the monument, cost of additional enshrinements and observances as a line of item of the agency’s annual request. The line item may not be reprogramm…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 471. Short Title. This Article shall be known and cited as the “CNMI Cultural Masters Award Act.” Source: PL 21-21, § 3 (§ 101) (Apr. 3, 2020), modified. Commission Comment: In addition to severability and savings clause provisions, PL 21-21 included the foll…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 472. Creation. There is created within the Commonwealth Council for Arts and Cultures the CNMI Cultural Masters Award, to be given to accomplished practitioners of CNMI’s folk and traditional arts who have contributed to the preservation, advancement, and app…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 473. Award Frequency and Limitations. The Commonwealth Council for Arts and Cultures shall accept nominations for the CNMI Cultural Masters Award during the month of April 2020 and every four (4) years thereafter. No more than four (4) awards may be given dur…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 474. Selection Criteria. Nominees for the CNMI Cultural Masters Award shall be judged based on the following criteria: (a) Exemplary and active practice of a traditional art form. (b) Expertise, consummate skill, and longevity in the promotion and perpetuatio…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 475. Selection Procedures. (a) The staff of the Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture shall review nomination packets to ensure that the criteria and guidelines have been met. (b) A panel of experts, to be determined by the Commonwealth Council for Arts a…

Receipt of Value: To Vote or Not Vote. A person shall not, directly, by himself or through any other person, receive, agree or contract for, before or during an election, any money, gift, loan or other valuable consideration, office, place or employment for himself or any other p…

Payment of Value: To Vote or Aid in Securing Nomination for Another. A person shall not, directly, by himself or through any other person, give or receive any money or other valuable thing, before, during or after election because he or any other person: (a) Voted to secure the e…

Payment of Value: To Vote, Not Vote or Reward for Same. A person shall not lend or contribute any money or other valuable consideration to or for any voter, or to or for any other person, to: (a) Induce a voter to: (1) Vote or refrain from voting at any election; (2) Vote or refr…

Receipt of Value: To Procure Election or Vote. A person shall not, directly or indirectly, by himself or through any other person procure, engage, promise or endeavor to procure, in consequence of any gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement or agreement, the election of any perso…

Payment of Value to Induce Candidate to Withdraw. A person shall not, directly or indirectly, by himself or through any other person advance or pay, or cause to be paid, any money or other thing of value to or for the use of any other person, in consideration of a person withdraw…

Penalty. Any person who commits any of the offenses set forth in Sections 6401-6405, inclusive, is guilty of a felony punishable by a fine not greater than $50,000 or not more than five (5) years imprisonment, or both. Source: PL 12-18, § 2 (6406).

Promising Appointment to Office. Every person is guilty of a misdemeanor who being a nominee or candidate at any election, offers or agrees to appoint or procure the appointment of any particular person to office, as an inducement or consideration for any person to vote for or to…

Communication of Promise. Every person is guilty of a misdemeanor who communicates any offer made in violation of the preceding Section 6407 to any person with intent to induce him to vote for, or to procure or aid in procuring the election of, the nominee or candidate making the…

Publications Reflecting on Character of Candidate. Every person is guilty of misdemeanor who intentionally writes, prints, posts or distributes, or causes to be written, printed, posted or distributed any circular, pamphlet, letter or poster which is designed or intended to injur…

Penalty. Any person who commits any of the offenses set forth in Sections 6407-6409, inclusive, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not greater than $2,000 or not more than 60 days in prison, or both. Source: PL 12-18, § 2 (6410).

Disqualification. A candidate convicted under the provisions of Sections 6401-6405, inclusive, of this Chapter is disqualified from holding the office for which he was a candidate or nominee at the time of violating the provisions aforesaid. Source: Repealed and reenacted by PL 1…

Application. The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to all elections. Source: Repealed and reenacted by PL 12-18, § 2 (6412).

Complaints. Any person who believes a violation of any provision of this Chapter has occurred by file a complaint with the Commission. The Commission shall expeditiously investigate the matter in accordance with Section 6105. Whenever in the judgment of the majority of the Commis…

Winning Candidate Convicted of a Felony. If the Commission finds that a winning candidate, who has not yet assumed his office, has been convicted of a felony under this Chapter or under any other Commonwealth law, then the manner of determining his replacement shall be governed a…

Definition. Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, the definitions set forth herein shall govern the construction of this Article. (a) “Campaign Statement of Account” means an itemized statement prepared by a candidate or potential candidate showing the specific source, n…

Duties of Candidates. Upon becoming a candidate, an individual may designate one committee to serve as his campaign committee. The candidate shall appoint a treasurer who shall also be the treasurer of the campaign committee and in that capacity he shall keep a record of all cont…

Campaign Statement of Account; Filing; Verification. A candidate shall file a detailed financial statement of account prepared with the advice and co-signature of his treasurer or the election or reelection committee with the Office of the Public Auditor and a copy to the Commiss…

Publication. The Election Commission shall make public all campaign statements of account within ten (10) days after their filing, by publishing them in a newspaper of general circulation in the Commonwealth or by posting the same in certain public places designated by the Commis…

Multi-Candidate: Apportionment. Multi-candidate expenses are those spent by a person in aid of more than one candidate. Such expenses shall be treated as an expense by each candidate supported thereby and shall be apportioned equally among them; except that candidates may agree i…

Requirement of Authorization. No person other than a candidate or his campaign committee shall incur or contract for any expense in aid of such candidate’s campaign unless he applies in writing to the candidate’s treasurer at least five (5) days prior thereto for authorization. T…

Penalties. Any person violating this Article shall upon conviction be fined not more than fifty-thousand dollars ($50,000) or imprisoned for not more than one year or both. Source: Repealed and reenacted by PL 12-18, § 2 (6428).

Extension of Deadline. For good cause, the Commission may extend the deadline imposed on Section 6424 by not more than fifteen (15) days, upon written request by a candidate. A candidate shall be fined a non-waivable one-hundred dollars ($100) penalty for each day the financial r…

Non-Compliance. The Public Auditor shall refer any candidate who fails to comply with this Article to the Office of the Attorney General for prosecution. Source: Repealed and reenacted by PL 12-18, § 2 (6430).

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…

Reprogramming Authority. (a) (1) Except as provided in this section, and in 1 CMC §§ 7302 and 7403, no funds may be reprogrammed, and no obligation or contract for the expenditure of Commonwealth funds shall be made for any purposes other than the public purposes for which the fu…

Emergency Powers. (a) Whenever the Governor uses his authority pursuant to N.M.I. Const. art. III, § 10, the Governor shall as soon as practicable transmit to the legislature a report describing in detail the emergency which required exercise of such authority, the measures being…

Bidding Preference. (a) The requirements of this section are in addition to any other applicable requirements provided by law. Provided however that this section shall not apply to the procurement of independent services contractors, consultants, and professional services contrac…