| Bemerkungen |
Legislative Initiative 6-2, vom Parlament mit Dreiviertelsmehrheit in jedem Haus
beschlossen; daher ist nur eine einfache Mehrheit aller abgegebenen Stimmen nötig
(Kap. XVIII, Art. 3 und 5 der Verfassung).
Vorlage (Kap. II Art. 16, 17):
Section 16. Budget Ceiling. There shall be a ceiling on the budget of the
legislature.
a) Appropriations, or obligations and expenditures, exclusive of the salaries
of the members of the legislature, for the operations and activities of the
legislature may not exceed two million eight hundred thousand dollars in any
fiscal year. This ceiling on the legislative budget shall be divided equally
between the Senate and the House of Representatives.
b) Obligations and expenditures for the operations and activities of the
legislature for the period Gctober I through the second Monday in January of
a fiscal year in which there is a regular general election, may not exceed
seven hundred thousand dollars or the spending authority otherwise available
by law, whichever is less. This ceiling shall apply to the various offices and
activities in the same proportions as the annual spending authority provided by
law.
Section 17. Legislative Bureau. There is hereby established a legislative bureau
in the Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature.
a) The bureau shall be headed by a director to be appointed by the joint leadership
of the legislature consisting of the presiding officers, vice presiding officers,
floor leaders, and the chairmen of the standing committees.
b) The director shall employ all necessary staff, other than personal staff of the
members of the legislature, pursuant to budgetary allocations. The staff members
shall include legal counsel and other administrative staff.
c) The bureau shall provide all required services to the legislature in connection
with duties and responsibilities during sessions and committee meetings. It shall
maintain all records, files, library and other documents of the legislature.
d) The director may be removed by a rnajority of the members of each house of the
legislature with or without cause.
e) The bureau shall be free from any political harassment or pressure.
f) The legislative bureau shall have a budget sufficient to permit it to fully and
adequately perform its duties as specified in this Section. The funds budgeted shall
be independent of the budget ceiling established for the legislature under Section
16 of this Article, but in no event shall the funds appropriated exceed eight hundred
thousand dollars in any fiscal year."
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