The House on Thursday approved a measure aimed at easing cash-flow pressure at the Public School System and set an emergency session for Friday to prevent a cut to November Nutrition Assistance Program benefits during the ongoing federal shutdown.
According to Representative Blas Jonathan “BJ” T. Attao, House Bill 24-70 would let PSS draw on $4.91 million it already controls to partially bridge a $17.5 million shortfall between its fiscal 2026 request and the amount enacted in Public Law 24-14. The idea, he said, is to keep classrooms operating while longer-term fixes are debated.
Attao described the move as a way to avoid forcing schools into painful trade-offs, arguing that the authority to use existing funds now would stabilize payroll and supplies while the Legislature sorts out broader budget issues.
Separately, the House teed up HB 24-74 for action tomorrow. The bill would appropriate $1 million from Marianas Public Land Trust interest earnings to ensure NAP recipients receive their full November allotments. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has advised that, because of the shutdown, only half benefits would otherwise be issued this month.
Attao acknowledged the stopgap nature of the NAP plan that covers just one month, but said the priority is to keep families whole while federal operations remain disrupted. “Washington can shut down,” he said. “Our people cannot stop eating.”
He framed both measures as examples of moving quickly when revenues tighten or outside factors intervene, urging coordination across the Commonwealth to avoid what he called “bureaucracy as an excuse for inaction.”
