PALIKIR, POHNPEI.
December
13, 2013 – The Second Special Session of the Eighteenth Congress of the
Federated States of Micronesia adjourned with a Climate Change Act, a Policy on
Overseas Development Assistance, assistance towards Typhoon Haiyan relief
efforts, and grant resolutions for various federal programs in the Nation.
Convened on November 25, the 2nd Special Session
began its work foremost by passing Congressional Act (CA) 18-24 to
establish a Climate Change Act for the Nation. The legislation mandates
certain departments and agencies of the National Government to develop and
implement measures to meet the Nation’s Climate Change Policy with their
progress reported to Congress annually by the President.
On the heels of the Climate Change Act was CA
18-25 to appropriate $225,000 towards humanitarian relief efforts for
victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan with $100,000 towards the Philippines;
$50,000 to the Republic of Palau; $50,000 to the State of Yap; and
$25,000 to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Congress also passed CA 18-30 to clarify that
the new division formula for Compact Funds as set by Public Law 18-12,
is applicable to all Compact funds, with the exception of the Supplemental
Educational Grants under Section 105 of the amended Compact which will adhere to
the existing terms.
The President’s supplemental budget request of
$1,856,752 was also passed during the 2nd Special Session as CA
18-32. Along with the supplemental budget, Congressed passed CA 18-34, to
appropriate $4,900,000 to fund public project and social programs in the four
states. The remaining Congressional Acts were amendments to previous projects
and social programs in the various states: CA’s 18-26 – 20, 31, 33 and 35.
One of the major legislations addressed during the 2nd
Special Session was Congressional Bill (CB) 18-77 to liberalize
telecommunications in the nation. The Committee of Transportation and
Communications had held various hearings with the relevant parties and is
expected to continue during the Third Regular Session. It is the Committee’s
goal to allow time for all related and relevant parties to voice their views on
the issue. However, a member had introduced CB 18-110 as an alternative to the
100+ pages telecom Bill.
Congress meanwhile, for time sensitive reasons,
adopted Congressional Resolution (CR) 18-37 for a $500,000 grant from
the World Bank application to fund the strengthening of legal, regulatory, and
institutional framework of telecommunication services in the Federated States
of Micronesia.
Along with the world bank resolution, Congress
adopted 25 resolutions during the 2nd Special Session, and they
included:
CR 18-20, to
establish a policy for Overseas Development Assistance to set guidelines to
manage the nation’s development assistance to maximize benefits;
CR 18-39,
to request the President to organize a nation-wide Youth Summit during Summer
2014, to educate the Nation’s youth on current issues and encourage their
involvement in the planning and development of their Nation’s future;
CR 18-45,
to confirm the nomination of Redley Killion as the Private Sector
representative on the FSM Petro Corp Board; and Peter Garamfel (CR 18-51)
as the other Private Sector representative on the same Board;
CR 18-72,
to approve the nation’s membership on the International Renewable Energy Agency
or IRENA;
CR 18-87,
to confirm the nomination of Simpson Abraham as Kosrae’s representative on the
Board of National Oceanic Resources Management Agency or NORMA;
CR 18-97,
to set the ceiling of available funds at $65,218,904 of which $61,706,746 would
be from the domestic revenue with the remaining $3,512,158 to be from funds
available under the amended Compact; and
CR 18-98,
to extend the Second Special Session of the 18th FSM Congress until
December 05, 2013, an extra day.
The remaining 15 Resolutions adopted by Congress
were grants addressing various development needs of the nation and some grants
to enable payroll for certain federal employees at the state level funded under
Sector grants of the amended Compact and they included the following:
Congressional Resolution 18-48,
to accept a $648,948 grant from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community to
assist the FSM in the successful implementation of national adaptation
activities under the Global Climate Change Alliance of the Pacific Small Island
States program;
CR 18-50,
to accept a $60,000 grant from the United Environment Programme to fund Phase
IV of the Institutional Strengthening under the mandates of the Montreal
Protocol;
CR 18-62,
to accept a $44,930 grant from the United States Department of Health and Human
Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to fund the Preventive
Health Services Project in the FSM;
CR 18-63,
to accept a $282,250 grant from the Japanese Government, for the Goods and
Services Program for the fiscal year 2013;
CR 18-82,
to approve the submission of a $300,000 grant proposal to the US Department of
Health and Human Services Human Resources and Services Administration , to fund
the Universal Newborn Hearing, Screening and Intervention Program in the
Federated States of Micronesia,.
CR 18-85,
to accept a $3,327,595 grant from the US Department of Education Office of
Special Education Programs to fund and support the FSM Department of
Education’s effort to provide special education and related services to
children with disabilities;
CR 18-88,
to accept a $486,950 grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration to fund Maternal and Child Health
Services in the FSM;
CR 18-89,
to accept a $12,300 grant from the World Health Organization to fund training
for food handlers in the FSM and related activities;
CR 18-90, to
approve the submission of a $40,000 grant proposal by the FSM Department of
Health and Social Affairs to the United States Department of Health and Human
Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fund the National Public
Health Improvement initiative;
CR 18-92,
to accept a $27,132 grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fund the implementation of the
FSM Tracking, Surveillance, and Integrated Project;
CR 18-93,
to accept a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services Health Resources and Services Administration designated towards the
improvement of data capacity in the FSM;
CR 18-95,
to approve the submission of a $751,391 grant application to the United States
Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Agency to fund the FSM Substance Abuse and Mental Health Program and
FSM Community Mental Health Services grant for years 2013 and 2014. Of
the requested amount, $598,861 would fund the FSM Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Program and the remaining $152,530 to fund FSM Community Mental Health
Services;
CR 18-100,
to accept a $500,000 grant from the US Office of Insular Affairs to be
utilized in 2014, to fund a single audit for FY 2013, as required by the Single
Audit Act;
CR 18-101,
to accept a $220,000 grant from the Global Environment Facility which is
critical to prepare national biodiversity, revise national biodiversity
strategies and undertake clearing house mechanism activities in the FSM per its
obligations as a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity; and finally
CR 18-102,
to accept a $45,523 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administrator, to fund data capacity improvement
in the FSM for the Department of Health and Social Affairs, by maintaining the
four MCH data clerks in each of the four States to continue collecting data for
document relevant information concerning pregnant mothers, children and
adolescents, including those with special health care needs, and to develop
systems to support data collection and reporting for the MCH program.
Following the necessary procedures by the
Legislative Branch, the pieces of legislations have been transmitted to the
Office of the President for appropriate actions by the President and the
Executive Branch.
The Second Special Session of the 18th
FSM Congress adjourned sine die on December 05, 2013.
Congress will convene for
the Third Regular Session of the 18th FSM Congress on January 10,
2014 for the duration of 20 days, unless shortened or extended.
Sessions of Congress, as always, are open to the
interested public.
All Congressional Bills and Resolutions and
corresponding Reports, if any, can be accessed through the Congress website at:
www.fsmcongress.fm.
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Information about the Congress of the
Federated States of Micronesia is made available through: The Congress
Public Information Office Ÿ P.O.
Box PS-3 Ÿ Palikir,
Pohnpei 96941
T: (691) 320-2324 Ÿ F: (691)
320-5122
For more on the FSM Congress visit: www.fsmcongress.fm or for feedback contact: congresspio@mail.fm
