This bill designates $15 million annually from federal funding allocated to the Northern Mariana Islands, starting in fiscal year 2027, with specific purposes outlined for its use. Of this amount, up to $3 million per year can address immigration, labor, or law enforcement issues, while the remainder must support improvements to the Commonwealth's electric power system, such as modernizing infrastructure, reducing electricity rates, and improving system reliability. The bill prioritizes funding for projects that reduce fuel costs, protect against fuel price changes, or minimize power outages, and requires that projects be carried out through the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation without requiring local matching funds. This funding allocation continues until a new long-term funding agreement between the federal government and the Northern Mariana Islands takes effect, at which point the terms of that new agreement will supersede this arrangement. The bill does not change the total amount of federal funding available to the Northern Mariana Islands or other U.S. territories.

The Northern Mariana Islands Labor Stabilization Act extends and restructures the Northern Mariana Islands' temporary foreign worker program through 2039, with the possibility of additional 10-year extensions if labor needs warrant them. The bill caps the program at 15,000 permits per fiscal year for general workers and allows an additional 3,000 permits for construction workers, while adopting Guam's temporary labor certification procedures for processing worker petitions. The legislation permits certain long-term foreign workers admitted since 2015 to remain for up to three-year periods and imposes a $150 enforcement fee per petition. The bill takes effect on the first day of the fiscal year following enactment and applies to all new worker petitions filed after that date, giving the government time to implement the changes while establishing clear rules for future applications.

This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to build or renovate a community-based outpatient clinic in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. The project is limited to fiscal year 2027 and cannot exceed $3.7 million in costs. The legislation allows the VA Secretary flexibility to adjust building standards to account for the unique challenges of construction in the remote Pacific location, including high shipping costs for materials, limited local contractors, and geographic distance from other medical facilities. The bill recognizes that veterans in the Northern Mariana Islands currently lack permanent VA medical services nearby and aims to reduce their travel burden for healthcare. Congress must formally appropriate the $3.7 million authorized by this bill for the project to move forward.

This bill expands travel assistance benefits for veterans with service-connected disabilities living in U.S. territories and Freely Associated States such as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Currently, veterans in these areas can only receive travel payment assistance if their disability rating is 30 percent or higher, but this legislation removes that rating requirement for veterans in locations where no Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility exists. The change makes it easier for disabled veterans in remote or underserved areas to access VA healthcare by covering their travel costs to the nearest available VA facility, regardless of their disability rating level. The bill addresses a practical gap in care access for veterans in "medical deserts" where VA services are unavailable locally. No specific funding amount or implementation timeline is included in the legislation.

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.

The VA SUBCON Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to create and maintain a public database of veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses certified by the Small Business Administration. This database will help the VA identify potential subcontractors and meet federal requirements to award a certain percentage of contracts to veteran-owned businesses. The database will be made available to companies bidding on VA contracts so they can use it when developing their small business subcontracting plans, though it will exclude businesses in mentor-protégé programs or those lacking adequate contract performance history. The VA must report to Congress within 180 days on how widely the database is being used and provide recommendations for improving its effectiveness. The legislation requires no new funding or staff, instead using existing VA resources, and is set to expire on December 31, 2028.

Northern Mariana Islands Medicaid Advancement ActThis bill requires the Medicaid funding cap for the Northern Mariana Islands to be the same as that for American Samoa in FY2026.

The U.S. Vets of the FAS Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide health services to veterans living in the Freely Associated States—which include the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia. The bill mandates that the VA work with these governments to establish agreements that guarantee veterans access to telehealth services and mail-order pharmacy delivery within one year of enactment. Additionally, the bill ensures that eligible veterans in these locations receive travel payment assistance when needed for medical care. The VA must begin outreach within 30 days of the law's passage and submit quarterly progress reports to Congress describing implementation efforts and costs, including any technical or logistical barriers to full implementation.

The Territories Airport Support Act of 2025 modifies federal funding rules for airports in economically disadvantaged areas, particularly focusing on U.S. territories. The bill updates which airports qualify for special cost-sharing arrangements under federal airport improvement grants, expanding eligibility to include airports in U.S. territories that historically received essential air service subsidies. This change affects airports in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands, which serve as critical infrastructure for these island communities. The bill essentially improves the federal government's financial contribution toward airport infrastructure projects in these territories, making it easier for them to receive federal matching funds for necessary upgrades and maintenance. The legislation was introduced in December 2025 and referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for consideration.

This bill permanently allows certain U.S. territories to benefit from "de minimis" tariff exemptions, which permit small shipments of goods to enter the United States duty-free. Specifically, the legislation exempts articles from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa from import duties, with a per-person limit of $800 in fair retail value per day. The bill also expands a bona fide gifts exemption to include the Northern Mariana Islands and requires the President to consult with Interior and Commerce officials before implementing major trade policy changes that could negatively affect these territories' commerce. The bill contains no specific funding allocations, as it primarily codifies existing tariff treatment rather than creating new spending programs.

Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa Criminal Justice Support ActThis bill increases the amount of state formula grant funds allocated to American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program.Currently, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands are considered to be one state, and they split one JAG allocation with 67% going to American Samoa and 33% going to the Northern Mariana Islands.This bill considers American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands to be separate states, which entitles each of them to a full JAG allocation.

The UNITY Act directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to study and improve disaster response and recovery efforts in noncontiguous U.S. communities—such as Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories—which face unique challenges in receiving federal aid and emergency services. FEMA must examine its hiring and retention practices in these areas within six months and then revise relevant policies to address staffing shortages, while the Government Accountability Office will conduct a broader 18-month study comparing disaster response effectiveness between noncontiguous and mainland communities, with particular attention to recovery from Super Typhoon Yutu. Additionally, FEMA must establish a pilot program within one year to test new technology for rapid damage assessments in remote noncontiguous communities, prioritizing the most geographically isolated areas and reporting on results by 2028. The pilot program will run through September 30, 2030, with no specific funding amount identified in the legislation.

The CNMI Ferry Act amends the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to make the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands eligible for federal funding to establish and operate basic ferry services between its islands. The bill expands the definition of eligible ferry services to include both traditional ferry operations serving rural areas more than 50 miles apart and new ferry services being planned or established in the Northern Mariana Islands. The legislation treats the entire Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as a rural area for purposes of accessing these federal transportation funds. This change allows the Northern Mariana Islands to compete for grants alongside U.S. states and other territories to improve inter-island connectivity in this remote Pacific region. The bill does not specify a total funding amount but directs that funds be made available through the existing Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act program.

The HOME Act of 2025 makes three key improvements to veterans' housing benefits administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. First, it requires the VA to improve guidance provided to lenders about whether veterans have sufficient income to repay home loans, and directs the VA to partner with nonprofit financial organizations to offer voluntary financial counseling to veterans seeking to buy homes using VA-guaranteed loans. Second, the bill requires the VA to create a searchable database of adapted homes currently for sale that have been modified for disabled veterans, allowing eligible veterans to more easily find properties that meet their accessibility needs. Third, the bill mandates that the VA conduct targeted outreach to veterans living in U.S. territories—such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—to inform them about their eligibility for housing benefits. The legislation does not specify funding amounts or implementation timelines but amends existing VA law to expand and clarify these housing support programs.

Northern Mariana Islands Small Business Access ActThis bill expands eligibility for the Small Business Administration microloan program to include entities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.The microloan program provides loans up to $50,000 for small businesses and certain nonprofit childcare centers.

The Territorial Response and Access to Veterans' Essential Lifecare Act or the TRAVEL Act of 2025This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to assign a physician who has been appointed in the Veterans Health Administration to serve as a traveling physician for a period of not more than one year. Such physician must provide health care to veterans at VA facilities located in American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United States.Traveling physicians must coordinate with non-VA providers when necessary to ensure high quality and coordinated care for veterans receiving hospital care and medical services.The VA must provide a relocation or retention bonus to traveling physicians.

Medicaid Improvement for Insular Areas Act of 2025This bill eliminates Medicaid funding limitations for U.S. territories beginning in FY2025.

This bill modifies the federal Essential Air Service program to expand eligibility for the Northern Mariana Islands. Currently, the program helps ensure that smaller or remote communities maintain adequate airline service by subsidizing routes that might not otherwise be profitable. The bill exempts Northern Mariana Islands locations from certain eligibility restrictions that normally apply, bringing them in line with similar exemptions already granted to Alaska and Hawaii. The change affects communities in the Northern Mariana Islands that rely on air service for transportation and economic connectivity. No specific funding amount or timeline is specified in the legislation, as it primarily adjusts existing regulatory eligibility rules rather than appropriating new funds.

H.R. 1797 expands federal employment services to two additional U.S. territories by amending the Wagner-Peyser Act to include the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa alongside existing territories like Guam and the Virgin Islands. This change gives these territories access to federal job training, employment assistance, and related services that were previously unavailable to them. Starting in the first fiscal year when total available funding exceeds fiscal year 2025 levels, both territories will receive federal allotments equal to half the amount given to Guam annually, ensuring they have dedicated resources for employment programs. The bill was introduced by Representatives King-Hinds and Radewagen in March 2025 and is intended to bring employment services parity across all U.S. territories.