I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3589
To create the Office of Chief Financial Officer of the Government of the 
Virgin Islands. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 21, 2003
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To create the Office of Chief Financial Officer of the 
Government of the Virgin Islands.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF THE VIRGIN IS-
LANDS. 
(a) APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Governor of the Virgin 
Islands shall appoint a Chief Financial Officer, with 
the advice and consent of the Legislature of the Vir-
gin Islands, from the names on the list required 
under section 2(d). If the Governor has nominated
a person for Chief Financial Officer but the Legisla-
ture of the Virgin Islands has not confirmed a nomi-
nee not later than 90 days after receiving the list 
pursuant to section 2(d), the Governor shall appoint 
from such list a Chief Financial Officer on an acting 
basis until the Legislature consents to a Chief Fi-
nancial Officer. 
(2) ACTING CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.—If a 
Chief Financial Officer has not been appointed 
under paragraph (1) within 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall appoint from the names on the list 
submitted under section 2(d), an Acting Chief Fi-
nancial Officer to serve in that capacity until a Chief 
Financial Officer is appointed under the first sen-
tence of paragraph (1). 
(b) TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Upon the appointment of a 
Chief Financial Officer under subsection (a), the 
functions of the Director of the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget established under the laws of the 
Virgin Islands shall be transferred to the Chief Fi-
nancial Officer. 
(2) DOCUMENTS PROVIDED.—The head of the 
Department of Finance of the Virgin Islands and
the head of the Internal Revenue Bureau of the Vir-
gin Islands shall provide all documents and informa-
tion under the jurisdiction of that head that the 
Chief Financial Officer considers required to carry 
out his or her functions to the Chief Financial Offi-
cer. 
(c) DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.—Until the 
date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the position of the Director of the Office of Man-
agement and Budget of the Virgin Islands shall—
(1) have the duties, salary, and other conditions 
of the Deputy Chief Financial Officer in lieu of the 
duties, salary, and other conditions of the Director 
of the Office of Management and Budget of the Vir-
gin Islands as such functions existed before the ap-
pointment of the Chief Financial Officer; and 
(2) assist the Chief Financial Officer in car-
rying out the duties of the Chief Financial Officer. 
(d) CONDITIONS RELATED TO CHIEF FINANCIAL OF-
FICER.—
(1) TERM.—The Chief Financial Officer shall 
be appointed for a term of 5 years. 
(2) REMOVAL.—The Chief Financial Officer 
shall not be removed except for cause. An Acting 
Chief Financial Officer may be removed for cause or
by a Chief Financial Officer appointed with the ad-
vice and consent of the Legislature of the Virgin Is-
lands. 
(3) REPLACEMENT.—If the Chief Financial Of-
ficer is unable to continue acting in that capacity 
due to removal, illness, death, or otherwise, another 
Chief Financial Officer shall be selecting in accord-
ance with subsection (a). 
(4) SALARY.—The Chief Financial Officer shall 
be paid at a salary to be determined by the Governor 
of the Virgin Islands, except such rate may not ex-
ceed the rate of pay for a cabinet officer of the Gov-
ernment of the Virgin Islands. 
(e) CONDITIONS RELATED TO DEPUTY CHIEF FI-
NANCIAL OFFICER.—
(1) TERM; REMOVAL.—The Deputy Chief Fi-
nancial Officer shall serve at the pleasure of the 
Chief Financial Officer. 
(2) REPLACEMENT.—If the Deputy Chief Fi-
nancial Officer is unable to continue acting in that 
capacity due to removal, illness, death, or otherwise, 
another person shall be selected by the Chief Finan-
cial Officer to serve as Deputy Chief Financial Offi-
cer.
(3) SALARY.—The Deputy Chief Financial Offi-
cer shall be paid at a salary to be determined by the 
Chief Financial Officer, except such rate may not 
exceed the rate of pay for a cabinet officer of the 
Government of the Virgin Islands. 
(f) RESUMPTION OF FUNCTIONS.—On the date that 
is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the functions of the Chief Financial Officer shall be trans-
ferred to the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget of the Virgin Islands. 
(g) SUNSET.—This section shall cease to have effect 
after the date that is 5 years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a com-
mission to be known as the ‘‘Virgin Islands Chief Finan-
cial Officer Search Commission’’. 
(b) DUTY OF COMMISSION.—The Commission shall 
recommend to the Governor 3 candidates for nomination 
as Chief Financial Officer of the Virgin Islands. Each can-
didate must be a certified public accountant and must 
have demonstrated ability in general management of, 
knowledge of, and extensive practical experience in large 
governmental or business entities. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.—
(1) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Com-
mission shall be composed of 7 members appointed, 
not later than 30 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, as follows: 
(A) 1 individual appointed by the Governor 
of the Virgin Islands. 
(B) 1 individual appointed by the Presi-
dent of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands. 
(C) 1 individual, who is an employee of the 
Government of the Virgin Islands, appointed by 
the Central Labor Council of the Virgin Is-
lands. 
(D) 1 individual appointed by the joint 
Chambers of Commerce of St. Thomas-St. John 
and St. Croix. 
(E) 1 individual appointed by the Presi-
dent of the University of the Virgin Islands. 
(F) 1 individual appointed by the Chief 
Judge of the Virgin Islands Territorial Court. 
(G) 1 individual, who is a resident of St. 
John, appointed by the At-Large Member of the 
Legislature of the Virgin Islands. 
(2) TERMS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Each member shall be 
appointed for the life of the Commission.
(B) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Com-
mission shall be filled in the manner in which 
the original appointment was made. Any mem-
ber appointed to fill a vacancy shall be ap-
pointed for the remainder of that term. 
(3) BASIC PAY.—Members shall serve without 
pay. 
(4) QUORUM.—Five members of the Commis-
sion shall constitute a quorum. 
(5) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the 
Commission shall be the Secretary of the Interior or 
his or her designee and shall serve as an ex officio 
member of the Commission. 
(6) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at 
the call of the Chairperson. The Commission shall 
meet for the first time not later than 30 days after 
all members have been appointed under this sub-
section. 
(d) REPORT; RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Commission 
shall transmit a report to the Governor and the Secretary 
of the Interior not later than 60 days after its first meet-
ing. The report shall name the Commission’s recommenda-
tions for candidates for nomination as Chief Financial Of-
ficer of the Virgin Islands. If the Commission fails to 
make such recommendations within 60 days after its first
meeting, the Secretary of the Interior shall independently 
make these recommendations to the Governor not later 
than 90 days after the Commission’s first meeting. 
(e) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 
60 days after its first meeting. 
SEC. 3. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall provide a 
financial management system, including appropriate com-
puter hardware and software, to the Government of the 
Virgin Islands. The financial management system shall be 
available to the Chief Financial Officer and, after the date 
that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
of the Virgin Islands, to assist the Chief Financial Officer 
or the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
of the Virgin Islands, as the case may be, to carry out 
the official duties of that office. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purposes of this Act, the following definitions 
apply: 
(1) CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.—In sections 1 
and 2, the term ‘‘Chief Financial Officer’’ means a 
Chief Financial Officer or Acting Chief Financial
Officer, as the case may be, appointed under section 
1(a). 
(2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Virgin Islands Chief Financial Officer 
Search Commission established pursuant to section 
2. 
(3) GOVERNOR.—The term ‘‘Governor’’ means 
the Governor of the Virgin Islands.
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