Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Northern Mariana Islands Workforce Improvement Act eliminates a requirement that certain foreign workers in the Northern Mariana Islands must leave and re-enter the territory periodically to maintain their work status. Specifically, the bill removes the "touchback requirement" for Commonwealth Only Workers, allowing workers who were admitted during fiscal year 2015 and at least two additional times between 2016 and 2019 to obtain longer work permits lasting up to three years instead of just one year. These longer permits can be renewed for additional three-year periods during the transition period for the territory's economy. The bill affects foreign workers in the Northern Mariana Islands seeking more stable, long-term employment without the burden of repeatedly departing and returning to the territory. The legislation takes effect retroactively as if it had been included in the original 2018 law that established the Commonwealth Only Worker program.
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