SAIPAN — Two House standing committees will meet jointly next Thursday to consider a pair of bills targeting the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation and to review the renominations of two Public Utilities Commission members.
The joint meeting of the House Standing Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations and the House Standing Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is scheduled for Thursday, March 12 at 10 a.m. in the House Chamber. The committees are chaired respectively by Rep. Joel C. Camacho and Rep. Vincent R. Aldan.
On the agenda are two bills introduced by Aldan aimed at increasing oversight and accountability at CUC. H.B. 24-87 would require an independent valuation of CUC, restore constitutional and audit oversight, modernize procurement and review procedures, protect ratepayers and clarify the economic framework for any privatization transaction. H.B. 24-88 would mandate a comprehensive third-party utility expert audit of CUC, require a formal PUC audit-review docket and transparent public review process, establish a ratepayer impact matrix and public audit implementation dashboard, impose strict timelines with limited extensions, require mandatory decennial audits and establish civil penalties for missed deadlines payable to the CNMI Treasury.
The committee will also take up the renominations of James S. Sirok and Oscar Patrick Quitugua to the Public Utilities Commission.
