Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Reform Act

Summary

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Reform Act - Amends the Covenant to Establish the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to treat the Northern Mariana Islands as a State under the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to an individual's entry into the Commonwealth (but not entry from the Commonwealth into the United States). Applies Federal statutes and regulations governing admission of certain workers to Guam to individuals seeking entry into the Northern Mariana Islands for purposes of employment in the textile, hotel, tourist, or construction industries. Requires the Attorney General to coordinate and act in conjunction with State and local law enforcement agencies to ensure that deployment of personnel to enforce such statutes and regulations does not degrade or compromise the law enforcement capabilities and functions currently performed by immigration officers. Amends Federal law to prohibit affixation of the "Made in the USA" label to a textile fiber product from the Northern Mariana Islands unless it is made or assembled using direct labor meeting a specified percentage of qualified manhours by U.S. citizens or nationals or citizens of the Freely Associated States of the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia. Applies to the Northern Mariana Islands the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as modified by this Act. Requires a minimum wage through December 31, 1997, of $3.05 per hour, adjusted annually thereafter in increments of $.30 or the amount necessary to increase the minimum wage rate to the rate required by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, whichever is less. Applies permanently to the Northern Mariana Islands the minimum wage rate required by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 once the incrementally increased rate equals such rate. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to study the extent of human and labor rights violations in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, including the use of forced or indentured labor, and any efforts taken by the Government of the United States or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to address or prohibit such violations. Requires inclusion of study results in the annual "Federal CNMI Initiative on Labor, Immigration, and Law Enforcement" report to Congress. Authorizes appropriations.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

1. 31 July 1997

   Introduced

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 31 July 1997

   Introduced

   Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8552-8553)

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 31 July 1997

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

4. 8 October 1997

   Introduced

   Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10655)

   Source: IntroReferral

5. 31 March 1998

   Committee

   Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 105-558.

   Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in Senate · 31 July 1997 · Official file

Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 31 July 1997

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 31 July 1997

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 31 July 1997

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Rep. Akaka, Daniel K. [D-HI-2] · D · Sponsor
• Susan Collins · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Hutchinson, Tim [R-AR] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Landrieu, Mary L. [D-LA] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Bumpers, Dale [D-AR] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Ford, Wendell H. [D-KY] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Hollings, Ernest F. [D-SC] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Inouye, Daniel K. [D-HI] · D · Cosponsor
• · sseg00 · Standing

Related records

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