I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5550 
To provide certain requirements for labeling textile fiber products and for 
duty-free and quota-free treatment of products of, and to implement 
minimum wage and immigration requirements in, the Northern Mariana 
Islands, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 7, 2006 
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California (for himself, Mr. SPRATT, Ms. SOLIS, Ms. 
PELOSI, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. CONYERS, Mrs. 
MCCARTHY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. LANTOS, and Ms. DELAURO) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and 
in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide certain requirements for labeling textile fiber 
products and for duty-free and quota-free treatment of 
products of, and to implement minimum wage and immi-
gration requirements in, the Northern Mariana Islands, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘United States-Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas 
Human Dignity Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec.
1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec.
2. Amendments.
Sec.
3. Authority of Customs service to board ships. 
Sec.
4. Rate of wages for laborers and mechanics. 
Sec.
5. Economic diversification, job creation, and job training program. 
Sec.
6. Labor and human rights study; report. 
Sec.
7. Effect on other law. 
Sec.
8. Study and recommendations on immigration and national security 
vulnerabilities. 
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS. 
The Joint Resolution entitled ‘‘Joint Resolution to 
approve the ‘Covenant To Establish a Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the 
United States of America’, and for other purposes’’ ap-
proved March 24, 1976 (48 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sections: 
‘‘SEC. 7. LABELING OF MADE IN THE USA PRODUCTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A product, including a textile 
fiber product, that leaves the territory of the Northern 
Mariana Islands for shipment to any place in the United 
States or abroad may not have a stamp, tag, label, or 
other means of identification or substitute therefor on or 
affixed to the product stating ‘Made in USA’ or otherwise 
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stating or implying that the product was made or assem-
bled in the United States unless— 
‘‘(1) each individual providing direct labor in 
production of such product was paid a wage equal 
to or greater than the wage set by the Fair Labor 
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.); 
‘‘(2) the product was produced or manufactured 
in compliance with all Federal laws relating to labor 
rights and working conditions, including, but not 
limited to, the National Labor Relations Act, the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, and 
the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; 
‘‘(3) the factory or other business concern pro-
ducing or manufacturing the product does not em-
ploy individuals under conditions of indentured ser-
vitude. 
‘‘(b) RESULT
OF
NONCOMPLIANCE
REGARDING 
‘MADE IN THE USA’ PRODUCTS.—A textile fiber product, 
which is stamped, tagged, labeled, or otherwise identified 
in violation of subsection (a) shall be deemed to be willfully 
misbranded for purposes of the Textile Fiber Products 
Identification Act (15 U.S.C. 70 et seq.). 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of the section: 
‘‘(1) DIRECT LABOR.—The term ‘direct labor’ 
includes any work provided to prepare, assemble, 
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process, package, or transport a product, but does 
not include supervisory, management, security, or 
administrative work. 
‘‘(2) INDENTURED SERVITUDE.—The term ‘in-
dentured servitude’ includes all labor for which an 
alien worker is in the Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands solely by virtue of an employ-
ment contract with a specific and sole employer or 
‘master’ who is in control of the duration of the stay 
of the indentured alien worker in the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands. If the worker dis-
pleases the employer/master, the contract is termi-
nated and the employee must leave the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 
‘‘SEC. 8. MINIMUM WAGE. 
‘‘Section 503(c) of the foregoing Covenant shall be 
construed and applied as if it read as follows: 
‘(c) The minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor 
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.), shall apply 
to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
except that— 
‘(1) prior to January 1, 2007, the minimum 
wage rate applicable to the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands shall be $3.05 per hour; 
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‘(2) between January 1, 2007 and December 
31, 2007 inclusive, the minimum wage rate applica-
ble to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands shall be $3.60 per hour; 
‘(3) between January 1, 2008 and December 
31, 2008 inclusive, the minimum wage rate applica-
ble to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands shall be $4.15 per hour; 
‘(4) on January 1, 2009 and at the beginning 
of every calendar year thereafter, the minimum wage 
rate applicable to the Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands shall be increased from the pre-
vious wage by the lesser of $1.00 per hour or the 
amount needed to make the minimum wage rate ap-
plicable to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar-
iana Islands equal to the minimum wage rate set 
forth in section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards 
Act of 1938, until the minimum wage rate applicable 
to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is-
lands is equal to the minimum wage rate set forth 
in section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act 
of 1938; 
‘(5) once the minimum wage applicable to the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
equals the minimum wage rate set forth in section 
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6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, it 
shall increase as necessary to remain equal to the 
minimum wage rate set forth in such section.’. 
‘‘SEC. 9. CONDITIONS FOR DUTY-FREE AND QUOTA-FREE 
TREATMENT. 
‘‘(a) CONDITIONS.—A product of the Northern Mar-
iana Islands may not enter the customs territory of the 
United States duty-free or not subject to quota as the 
product of an insular possession, unless— 
‘‘(1) each individual providing direct labor in 
production of the product was paid a wage equal to 
or greater than the wage set by the Fair Labor 
Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.); 
‘‘(2) the product was produced or manufactured 
in compliance with all Federal laws relating to labor 
rights and working conditions, including, but not 
limited to, the National Labor Relations Act, the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, and 
the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; 
‘‘(3) the factory or other business concern pro-
ducing or manufacturing the product does not em-
ploy individuals under conditions of indentured ser-
vitude; and 
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‘‘(4) the Commissioner of Customs has certified 
that the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is-
lands is taking adequate measures— 
‘‘(A) to prevent unlawful transshipment of 
goods that is carried out by rerouting, false 
declaration concerning country or place of ori-
gin, falsification of documents, evasion of 
United States rules of origin, or any other 
means; and 
‘‘(B) to prevent being used as a transit 
point for the shipment of goods in violation of 
any restriction on imports imposed under any 
provision of law or applicable trade agreement. 
‘‘(b) PENALTIES
AGAINST
EXPORTERS.—If the 
President determines, based on sufficient evidence, that 
an exporter has willfully falsified information regarding 
the country of origin, manufacture, processing, or assem-
bly of a product of the Northern Mariana Islands for 
which duty-free or quota-free treatment is claimed, then 
the President shall deny to such exporter, and any succes-
sors of such exporter, for a period of 2 years, duty-free 
and quota-free treatment for such product. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section: 
‘‘(1) DIRECT LABOR.—The term ‘direct labor’ 
includes any work provided to prepare, assemble, 
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process, package, or transport a product, but does 
not include supervisory, management, security, or 
administrative work. 
‘‘(2) INDENTURED SERVITUDE.—The term ‘in-
dentured servitude’ includes all labor for which an 
alien worker is in the Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands solely by virtue of an employ-
ment contract with a specific and sole employer or 
‘master’ who is in control of the duration of the stay 
of the indentured alien worker in the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands. If the worker dis-
pleases the employer/master, the contract is termi-
nated and the employee must leave the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 
‘‘SEC. 10. APPLICABILITY OF IMMIGRATION LAWS. 
‘‘Section 506 of the foregoing Covenant shall be con-
strued and applied as if it included at the end the fol-
lowing subsection: 
‘(e)(1) The provisions of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act shall apply to the Northern Mariana Islands 
as if the Northern Mariana Islands were a State (as de-
fined in section 101(a)(36) of such Act), and a part of 
the United States (as defined in section 101(a)(38) of 
such Act). Such Act shall supersede and replace all laws, 
provisions, or programs of the Commonwealth of the 
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Northern Mariana Islands relating to the admission and 
removal of aliens from the Northern Mariana Islands. 
‘(2)(A) The Secretary of Homeland Security may ad-
just the status of an alien described in subparagraph (B) 
to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent resi-
dence if the alien— 
‘(i) applies for such adjustment; 
‘(ii) is physically present in the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands on the date such 
application is filed; 
‘(iii) is admissible to the United States as an 
immigrant; 
‘(iv) during the 5-year period preceding such 
application, has been and still is a person of good 
moral character; 
‘(v) has not accepted or continued in unauthor-
ized employment in the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands prior to filing such appli-
cation, is not in unlawful immigration status on the 
date of filing such application, and has not failed 
(other than through no fault of the alien or for tech-
nical reasons) to maintain continuously a lawful sta-
tus since entry into the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands; and 
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‘(vi) establishes to the satisfaction of the Sec-
retary that the denial of such application would re-
sult in exceptional and extremely unusual hardship 
to the alien. 
‘(B) The benefits provided by subparagraph (A) shall 
apply to any alien who— 
‘(i) during the 4-year period preceding the date 
of the enactment of the United States-Common-
wealth of the Northern Marianas Human Dignity 
Act, was continuously authorized by the Government 
of the Northern Mariana Islands (pursuant to the 
immigration laws of the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands) to enter into and remain 
temporarily in the Northern Mariana Islands in 
order to perform temporary service or labor in the 
Northern Mariana Islands; or 
‘(ii) is the alien spouse or minor child of an 
alien described in clause (i). 
‘(C) When an alien is granted the status of having 
been lawfully admitted for permanent residence pursuant 
to this paragraph, the Secretary of State shall not be re-
quired to reduce the number of immigrant visas author-
ized to be issued under the Immigration and Nationality 
Act and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall not be 
required to charge the alien any fee. 
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‘(D) The definitions contained in the Immigration 
and Nationality Act shall apply in the administration of 
this paragraph. Nothing contained in this paragraph shall 
be held to repeal, amend, alter, modify, effect, or restrict 
the powers, duties, functions, or authority of the Secretary 
of Homeland Security in the administration and enforce-
ment of such Act or any other law relating to immigration, 
nationality, or naturalization. The fact that an alien may 
be eligible to be granted the status of having been lawfully 
admitted for permanent residence under this paragraph 
shall not preclude the alien from seeking such status 
under any other provision of law for which the alien may 
be eligible. 
‘(3)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), 
paragraphs (1) and (2) shall take effect after the expira-
tion of the 3-month period beginning on the date of the 
enactment of the United States-Commonwealth of the 
Northern Marianas Human Dignity Act. 
‘(B) With respect to an alien who, on the day pre-
ceding the date of the enactment of the United States- 
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Human Dignity 
Act, is authorized by the Government of the Northern 
Mariana Islands (pursuant to the immigration laws of the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) to enter 
into and remain temporarily in the Northern Mariana Is-
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lands in order to perform temporary service or labor in 
the Northern Mariana Islands (and any relatives of the 
alien if such relatives were authorized to accompany or 
follow to join the alien)— 
‘(i) paragraph (1) shall apply to the alien begin-
ning after the earlier of— 
‘(I) the date on which such authorization 
expires (such authorization not being subject to 
extension or renewal by the Government of the 
Northern Mariana Islands after the expiration 
of the 3-month period beginning on the date of 
the enactment of the United States-Common-
wealth of the Northern Marianas Human Dig-
nity Act); 
‘(II) the date that is 2 years after the date 
of the enactment of the United States-Common-
wealth of the Northern Marianas Human Dig-
nity Act; or 
‘(III) the date on which the status of the 
alien is adjusted to that of an alien lawfully ad-
mitted for permanent residence under para-
graph (2); and 
‘(ii) if otherwise eligible, the alien may apply for 
adjustment of status under paragraph (2) beginning 
on the effective date of such paragraph. 
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