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FEDERALhearing transcript

Hearing on the Northern Mariana Islands Economic Expansion Act (H.R. 339)

Original title: H.R. 339, THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS ECONOMIC EXPANSION ACT

January 1, 2018

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The Frame

What this does

The bill proposes increasing the number of available work permits for the Northern Mariana Islands from 12,998 to 15,000 for 2017, raising the permit fee from $150 to $200, and permanently barring new construction worker permits.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Northern Mariana Islands employers

Employers face changes to the availability and cost of hiring foreign transition workers.

Construction workers in the Northern Mariana Islands

New construction workers would be ineligible for CW-1 permits, and existing workers face new restrictions on permit extensions.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2018.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript of a 2017 U.S. Senate committee hearing regarding H.R. 339, a bill proposing changes to the Commonwealth-Only Transition Worker () visa program in the Northern Mariana Islands. The bill aims to adjust visa caps, increase permit fees, and restrict eligibility for construction workers.

Key Facts

  • The bill proposes increasing the CW-1 visa cap from 12,998 to 15,000 for Fiscal Year 2017.
  • The bill proposes increasing the CW-1 permit fee from $150 to $200.
  • The bill proposes a permanent prohibition on new CW-1 permits for construction workers.
  • Existing construction workers with permits issued before October 1, 2015, may be eligible for permit extensions.
  • The current CW-1 visa cap was reached within weeks of the start of the 2017 fiscal year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a CW-1 permit?
It is a Commonwealth-Only Transition Worker permit used in the Northern Mariana Islands.
Does this bill affect construction workers?
Yes, it proposes to permanently stop issuing new permits to construction workers, though it allows for extensions for those who received their first permit before October 1, 2015.

Why It Matters

The bill proposes increasing the number of available work permits for the Northern Mariana Islands from 12,998 to 15,000 for 2017, raising the permit fee from $150 to $200, and permanently barring new construction worker permits.

News Coverage

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Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Construction Labor Restriction

The bill marks a shift toward permanently phasing out foreign construction labor under the CW-1 program.

Connected Entities

organizationCommittee on Energy and Natural ResourcesSenate committee conducting the hearingMap →
personRalph DLG. TorresGovernor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana IslandsMap →
personLisa MurkowskiChairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesMap →
personGregorio Kilili Camacho SablanDelegate for the Northern Mariana IslandsMap →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

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