PALIKIR, POHNPEI. June 5, 2013 – The Eighteenth Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia adjourned sine-die its First Regular Session on Thursday – May 30, 2013 after a 20-day session.
The new Congress began its First Regular Session by reorganizing its Leadership during the Opening Day of the Session and elected Senator Dohsis Halbert (Pohnpei) as the new Speaker, Senator Paliknoa K. Welly (Kosrae) as the new Vice Speaker, and Senator Florencio Singkoro Harper (Chuuk) maintained his seat as Floor Leader of the new Body.
Along with the Branch Leadership, the reorganization also seated new heads and members for the seven Congressional Standing Committees and they included: Chairman Isaac V. Figir for the Committee on Ways and Means; Chairman Wesley W. Simina for Judiciary and Governmental Operations; Chairman David W. Panuelo for Resources and Development; and Chairman Yosiwo P. George for External Affairs. Three committees retained their former Chairmen and they are: the Committee on Transportation and Communications with Chairman Peter M. Christian; the Committee on Education with Chairman Joseph J. Urusemal and the Committee on Health and Social Affairs with Chairman Tony H. Otto.
Rounding out the reorganization of the new Congress are the heads of the State Delegations:
for the State of Chuuk, Chairman Tiwiter Aritos; for the State of Kosrae, Chairman Yosiwo P. George; for the State of Pohnpei, Chairman Peter M. Christian and for the State of Yap, Chairman Joseph J. Urusemal.
From day One of the First Regular Session until its conclusion, 20 days later, the 18th FSM Congress considered 19 Congressional Bills and 29 Congressional Resolutions and of the 48 measures, five Bills and 13 Resolutions were passed by the new Congress during its First Regular Session.
Accordingly, the Bills and Resolutions passed during this First Regular Session are:
Congressional Bill No. 18-01 [Congressional Act 18-03]: To further amend Title 11 of the Code of the Federated States of Micronesia, as amended, by creating a new chapter 13 to implement the provisions of the chemical weapons convention at the national level, and for other purposes.
C.B. No. 18-07, CD.1 [CA 18-01]: To appropriate a supplemental budget of $4,702,628 from the General Fund of the Federated States of Micronesia for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, by amending sections 1, 2, 8, and 9 of Public Law No. 17-64, as amended by Public Laws Nos. 17-69, 17-72, 17-74 and 17-88, and for other purposes.
C.B. No. 18-12, CD.3 [CA 18-02]: To amend section 2 of Public Law No. 17-68, as amended by Public Law No. 17-71, for the purpose of changing the use of certain funds previously appropriated to fund public projects and social programs in the States of Yap, and for other purposes.
C.B. No. 18-17, CD.2 [CA 18-05]: To appropriate the sum of $2,100,000 from the General Fund of the Federated States of Micronesia for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, for the purpose of funding public projects and social programs in each of the four states, and for other purposes.
C.B. No. 18-18 [CA 18-04]: To appropriate a supplemental budget of $80,000 from the General Fund of the Federated States of Micronesia for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, by amending sections 1, 2 and 3 of Public Law No. 17-64, as amended by Public Laws Nos. 17-69, 17-72, 17-74, 17-88 and 18-01, and for other purposes.
As Congressional Acts, the passed measures have been engrossed and transmitted to the President for his signature.
The Congressional Resolutions passed during the First Regular Session of the 18th Congress are:
Congressional Resolution 18-01: To invite the President of the Federated States of Micronesia to deliver a State of the Nation Address;
C.R. 18-02: Designating and appointment of Mr. T. Lam Dang to the position of Legislative Counsel to the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia;
C.R. 18-03: Expressing the sincere gratitude and appreciation of the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia to Sister Maria Perez-Caballero for her lifetime of dedication to improving the quality of education in the Federated States of Micronesia;
C.R. 18-04: Approving and accepting a grant assistance in the amount of $949,600 from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), for the implementation of UNFPA-funded Annual Work Plans relating to the 2013-2017 UNFPA Multi-Country Program for the Pacific Island Countries and Territories, including all the terms and conditions of the assistance.
C.R. 18-09: Approving and accepting a grant assistance in the amount of $128,410 from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration, to fund the Maternal and Child Health Services in the FSM, including all the terms and conditions of the assistance.
C.R. 18-11: Approving and accepting a grant assistance in the amount of $76,849 from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to fund the FSM’s HIV Program for the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Project, including all the terms and conditions of the assistance.
C.R. 18-17: Approving and accepting a grant assistance in the amount of $209,129 from the U.S National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund, to fund the Pohnpei Historic Preservation Office, including all terms and conditions of the assistance.
C.R. 18-20: Approving and accepting a grant assistance from the Secretariat of the South Pacific Community in the amount of $63,093, to fund the Implementation of the Pacific Regional Strategic Implementation Plan II under Stream I, including all the terms and conditions of the assistance.
C.R. 18-22: Expressing the sincere gratitude and appreciation to Mr. Jonathan Pinkney-Baird for his service as a staff attorney to the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia.
C.R. 18-25: Designating and appointing Mrs. Liwiana Ramon Ioanis to the position of Chief Clerk to the Eighteenth Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia.
C.R. 18-26: Setting the ceiling of the total funds estimated to be available for appropriation from the General Fund of the Federated States of Micronesia for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013.
C.R. 18-27: Expressing the sincere gratitude and appreciation of the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia to Father Francis X. Hezel, SJ for the spiritual guidance, intellectual challenges and knowledge he has shared with others in the Federated States of Micronesia for the past 50 years.
C.R. 18-29: Authorizing the President to submit the Recommended National Government Compact Budget Request, as revised pursuant to Congress’s recommendations, to the United States under Article V of the Fiscal Procedures Agreement.
Details and copies of all Bills and Resolutions are available on the FSM Congress website at: www.fsmcongress.fm.
The next Regular Session of the 18th Congress according to the Rules of Procedures will convene on September 12th for the duration of 20 days unless extended or shortened by resolution. Special Sessions meanwhile can be called at any time for any duration by either the Speaker or the President.