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Congressional Committee on HESA hosts public hearings in States

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Congress): March 14, 2008 - The Congressional Standing Committee on Health, Education and Social Affairs is in the State of Chuuk today to continue its series of public hearings scheduled throughout the Federated States of Micronesia.

Headed by Committee Chairman Joseph J. Urusemal, the national delegation includes the Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations (J&GO) and the Committee on Transportation and Communications (T&C). The FSM Social Security Administration is also part of the national delegation which meets with the State Governments, agencies and offices with related interest in the various outstanding bills and resolutions pending before the 15^th FSM Congress.

According to the delegation's agenda, the bills and resolutions for the respective committees' include, from the HESA:

• C.B. no.15-05, a bill to establish a Cancer Registry System in the nation for the collection of information on the incidence of cancer and related data and provide for confidentiality of various patient identifying information, and other purposes;

• C.B. 15-52, a bill relating to FSM Social Security and proposed to provide for greater financial stability for the program and to reduce its unfunded liability, by raising tax rates, providing varying optional benefit payouts and amend various investment restrictions, and other purposes;

• C.B. 15-65, a MiCare bill proposed for enrollment in MiCare to be mandatory for national employees, conditional for students of the nation's post-secondary institutions and eliminate the requirement for separate state accounts, among other purposes; and

• C.B. 15-96, a bill proposed to protect, promote and preserve the nation's public health by regulating the marketing of certain products targeting infant nutritions and wellbeing.

Along with the noted bills, the two Resolutions for the HESA Committee are: CR no. 15-71, a resolution calling for the improvement of health services particularly in relation to the preventable and treatable communicable diseases and CR no. 15-90, a resolution seeking pardon for student loans taken out during the Trust Territory era.

While the legislative measures for J&GO Committee did not include any resolutions, it took the following bills to the States:

• C.B. 15-16, a bill proposed to amend to the election law to allow those voters mistakenly registered in another polling jurisdiction to cast their votes, among other purposes;

• C.B. 15-99, another bill to amend the election law to require petitions for congressional seats to be filed 180 days prior to a general election, and other purposes;

• C.B. 15-103, a bill to amend the procedures for admission of a new state to the FSM; and

• C.B. 15-110, is an immigration bill proposed to establish certain health clearance exit requirements, and other for other purposes.

The Committee on T&C on the other hand had six bills and two resolutions on their agenda, and they are:

• C.B. no.15-03, a bill relating to the appointment, composition and term limits for the FSM Telecom board members;

• C.B. 15-77, is a proposed amendment to place Project Management Unit and implementation of the Infrastructure Development Plan under the direct supervision of the Office of the President, and for other purposes;

• C.B. 15-70, is a bill to designate Polowat Atoll as one of the FSM's official ports of entry, and for other purposes;

• C.B. 15-33, is an amendment to the Title 21 of the FSM Code to provide for the reversion to the General Fund of certain monies held in the Telecommunications Revolving Fund, and for other purposes;

• C.B. 15-11, is a bill to amend certain compositions and matters relating to the Caroline Islands Air corporation and its executive officers, among other purposes;

• C.B. 15-3, is a bill to amend certain aspects of the appointment, composition and term limits of FSM Telecom Board of Directors; and

• C.B. 15-106, is an amendment relating to the implementation of the Infrastructure Development Plan and for other purposes.

The two Resolutions are CR no. 15-72, requests the President of the FSM to create a task force to launch a feasibility study for an airstrip on the island of Alei in Northwestern region of the State of Chuuk; and

CR no. 15-103, requests the President to recognize the allocation of infrastructure among Chuuk State's five regions, also seek assistance for those projects under FSM IDP not funded by Compact.

The Delegation set out on Monday - March 10^th for their public hearings in the State of Kosrae. Following Kosrae, the Delegation will move to the State of Chuuk where they will hold hearings until March 15^th then make their way to the State of Yap where they are expected to wrap up the public hearings and return to Palikir in time for the Fourth Special Session.

Along with Chairman Urusemal, members of the delegation include, Floor Leader Joe N. Suka, Senator Moses A. Nelson, Senator Fredrico O. Primo, Senator Paliknoa K. Welly and Alexander R. Narruhn - Administrator of the FSM Social Security Administration. Accompanying staff for the Delegation are Helen Lanctot and Alik Jackson from FSM Congress and Fransky Ilai from FSM SSA.