Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698832122740.pdf (Micronesia, Federated States of)
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA THIRD SPECIAL SESSION, 2014 C.B.

NO.

18-158 A BILL FOR AN ACT To establish the Joint Committee on Compact Review and Planning and its Secretariat for the purpose of coordinating the Nation’s preparation efforts towards effective and smooth post Compact government upon expiration of the Compact in 2023, and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS OF THE FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA: 1 Section 1.

Purpose.
Purpose.

In 1986 the Governments of the 2 Federated States of Micronesia and the United States of America 3 entered into a treaty of cooperation styled as the Compact of Free 4 Association.

The treaty acknowledged and declared the terms of 5 financial, economic, and defense exchanged between the parties for 6 the mutual benefit of the two Governments.
In 2023 the economic 7 and financial terms of the Compact of Free Association between the 8 Government of the Federated States of Micronesia and the 9 Government of the United States of America will expire.

Certain 10 terms, including defense and immigration provisions continue 11 indefinitely until one or both parties to the treaty decide to end 12 such terms as well.
It is now incumbent on the Government of the 13 Federated States of Micronesia to prepare for the eventual 14 expiration of the economic and financial assistance from the 15 United States of America.

In anticipation of the termination of 16 the financial provisions of the Amended Compact of Free 17 Association in 2023, there is hereby established a joint committee 18 of the Executive and Legislative branches.

19 Section 2.

Establishment of the Joint Committee on Compact CBL 18-149 C.B.

NO.
NO.

18-158 1 Review and Planning.

There is hereby created and established a 2 joint committee to be known as the Joint Committee on Compact 3 Review and Planning (“JCRP”), comprising nine members as follows: 4 one representative from each of the four States, as appointed by 5 the President in consultation with the leadership of each State, 6 and four representatives from the Congress of the Federated 7 States of Micronesia, one from each congressional delegation.
8 The Secretary of Foreign Affairs shall be a member ex officio.

9 He shall chair the Joint Committee's first meeting, and organize 10 the election of its Chairman and Vice Chairman.

Six of the 11 members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of 12 business.

Decisions shall be made within the Committee by at 13 least five concurring votes, with each participating member 14 casting a single vote.

15 Section 3.

Meetings.


The JCRP shall hold its first meeting 16 at the call of the acting Chairman.

Subsequent meetings shall be 17 held in accordance with a schedule set by the JCRP covering the 18 entire period between the first meeting and the termination of the 19 Amended Compact in 2023.

20 Section 4.

Mandate.


The JCRP shall carry out the following 21 responsibilities and obligations: 22 (1) In consultation with the Congress, set goals and 23 objectives in anticipation of the termination of the Amended 24 Compact of Free Association; 25 (2) Conduct a thorough analysis of all factors 2 of 5 C.B.

NO.
18-158 1 relating the future of the Nation; 2 (3) Develop all necessary strategies and approaches to 3 enable the Federated States of Micronesia to explore alternatives 4 for the future of the Nation; 5 (4) Direct its Secretariat in preparing the 6 documentation necessary to accomplish its responsibilities 7 hereunder; 8 (5) Analyze all economic information available on the 9 Federated States of Micronesia, with the aim of identifying the 10 FSM's continuing requirement for reasonable, fair, and effective 11 financial assistance from all sources from the year 2023 onward; 12 (6) Provide reports periodically to the Congress at 13 each regular session, and to the Office of the President, on all 14 developments, actual or potential, positive or negative, that may 15 be related to the future of the Nation, including but not limited 16 to new information, actions, communications, domestic and foreign 17 policies, bilateral and multilateral plans, as well as periodic 18 surveys exploring the value of net benefits to a foreign nation 19 from an exclusive security prerogative; and 20 (7) Collaborate with the State governments, the 21 Department of Foreign Affairs, the Congress, and the Office of the 22 President in identifying the nominees for the JCRP whose selection 23 will be subject to Congress's expressed approval; and 24 (8) Use funds for each separate category of expense 25 only up to the aggregate amount of the line-items of the 3 of 5 C.B.
NO.

18-158 1 corresponding expense category set out in the associated 2 appropriations bill or bills approved by Congress, and select and 3 hire the personnel needed to staff the Secretariat, as specified 4 in section 5 below.

5 6 Section 5. Financing of the JCRP.


(1) The President shall include the JCRP operations 7 budget in his annual budget to Congress; 8 (2) The departments and agencies of the Executive 9 Branch shall cooperate in providing information and other 10 logistical support to the JCRP upon request; and 11 (3) The expenses of experts and consultants for the 12 governments (state and national) traveling with JCRP shall be 13 borne by their agencies of origin.

14 Section 6.

Establishment of the Secretariat.


There is 15 hereby created and established a full-time Secretariat for the 16 JCRP.

The Secretariat shall consist of an Executive Director, an 17 Administrative Officer, a staff Counsel, and a secretary, all 18 based in Pohnpei.

The Secretariat shall have the following 19 responsibilities.
20 (1) Provide all administrative and logistical support 21 to the JCRP, and shall (a) prepare an annual budget for approval 22 by the Joint Committee, (b) transmit an approved budget to the 23 President to submit, with comments, to the Congress of the 24 Federated States of Micronesia; 25 (2) Coordinate with the various departments, offices 4 of 5 C.B.

NO.
NO.

18-158 1 and agencies of the FSM and State Governments to collect all 2 information and technical input necessary for satisfying its 3 responsibilities; and 4 (3) As directed by the JCRP, hire professionals 5 including an outside developmental economist and other consultants 6 with expertise in security or defense policy to assist the Joint 7 Committee with any aspect of its responsibilities, particularly 8 that are provided under section 4(5) above.

9 Section 7.
9 Section 7.

This act shall become law upon approval by the 10 President of the Federated States of Micronesia or upon its 11 becoming law without such approval.

12 13 Date: 3/29/14 Introduced by: /s/ Peter M. Christian Peter M. Christian of 5