IB 
Union Calendar No. 435 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3706 
[Report No. 112–600] 
To create the Office of Chief Financial Officer of the Government of the 
Virgin Islands, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 16, 2011 
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
JULY 17, 2012 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on December 16, 2011] 
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A BILL 
To create the Office of Chief Financial Officer of the 
Government of the Virgin Islands, and for other purposes. 
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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 Virgin 
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 Legislature of the 
Virgin Islands has not confirmed a nominee within 
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 Financial 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 Virgin Islands Chief Fi-
nancial Officer Search Commission, by majority vote, 
shall appoint from the names on the list submitted 
under section 2(d), an Acting Chief Financial Officer 
to serve in that capacity until a Chief Financial Offi-
cer is appointed under the first sentence of paragraph 
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(1). In either case, if the Acting Chief Financial Offi-
cer serves in an acting capacity for 180 consecutive 
days, without further action the Acting Chief Finan-
cial Officer shall become the Chief Financial Officer. 
(b) DUTIES OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.—The du-
ties of the Chief Financial Officer shall include the fol-
lowing: 
(1) Develop and report on the financial status of 
the Government of the Virgin Islands not later than 
6 months after appointment and quarterly thereafter. 
Such reports shall be available to the public. 
(2) Each year prepare and certify spending lim-
its of the annual budget, including annual estimates 
of all revenues of the territory without regard to 
sources, and whether or not the annual budget is bal-
anced. 
(3) Revise and update standards for financial 
management, including inventory and contracting, 
for the Government of the Virgin Islands in general 
and for each agency in conjunction with the agency 
head. 
(c) DOCUMENTS PROVIDED.—The heads of each de-
partment of the Government of the Virgin Islands, in par-
ticular the head of the Department of Finance of the Virgin 
Islands and the head of the Internal Revenue Bureau of 
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the Virgin Islands shall provide all documents and informa-
tion under the jurisdiction of that head that the Chief Fi-
nancial Officer considers required to carry out his or her 
functions to the Chief Financial Officer. 
(d) CONDITIONS RELATED TO CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFI-
CER.— 
(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 Fi-
nancial Officer may be removed for cause or by a 
Chief Financial Officer appointed with the advice 
and consent of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands. 
(3) REPLACEMENT.—If the Chief Financial Offi-
cer is unable to continue acting in that capacity due 
to removal, illness, death, or otherwise, another Chief 
Financial Officer shall be selected in accordance 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 be less 
than the highest rate of pay for a cabinet officer of 
the Government of the Virgin Islands or a Chief Fi-
nancial Officer serving in any government or semi-
autonomous agency. 
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(e) REFERENDUM.—As part of the closest regularly 
scheduled, islands-wide election in the Virgin Islands to the 
expiration of the fourth year of the five-year term of the 
Chief Financial Officer, the Board of Elections of the Virgin 
Islands shall hold a referendum to seek the approval of the 
people of the Virgin Islands regarding whether the position 
of Chief Financial Officer of the Government of the Virgin 
Islands shall be made a permanent part of the executive 
branch of the Government of the Virgin Islands. The ref-
erendum shall be binding and conducted according to the 
laws of the Virgin Islands, except that the results shall be 
determined by a majority of the ballots cast. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a commis-
sion to be known as the ‘‘Virgin Islands Chief Financial 
Officer Search Commission’’. 
(b) DUTY OF COMMISSION.—The Commission shall 
recommend to the Governor not less than 3 candidates for 
nomination as Chief Financial Officer of the Virgin Is-
lands. Each candidate must have demonstrated ability in 
general management of, knowledge of, and extensive prac-
tical experience at the highest levels of financial manage-
ment in governmental or business entities and must have 
experience in the development, implementation, and oper-
ation of financial management systems. 
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(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 Commission 
shall constitute a quorum. 
(5) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the 
Commission shall be the Chief Justice of the Supreme 
Court of the United States Virgin Islands or the des-
ignee of the Chief Justice. The Chairperson shall serve 
as an ex officio member of the Commission and shall 
vote only in the case of a tie. 
(6) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at 
the call of the Chairperson. The Commission shall 
meet for the first time not later than 15 days after 
all members have been appointed under this sub-
section. 
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(7) GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT.—Members may 
not be current government employees, except for the 
member appointed under paragraph (1)(C). 
(d) REPORT; RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Commission 
shall transmit a report to the Governor, the Committee on 
Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 
not later than 60 days after its first meeting. The report 
shall name the Commission’s recommendations for can-
didates for nomination as Chief Financial Officer of the 
Virgin Islands. 
(e) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 
upon the nomination and confirmation of the Chief Finan-
cial Officer. 
SEC. 3. 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 Of-
ficer, 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. 
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(3) GOVERNOR.—The term ‘‘Governor’’ means 
the Governor of the Virgin Islands. 
(4) REMOVAL FOR CAUSE.—The term ‘‘removal 
for cause’’ means removal based upon misconduct, 
failure to meet job requirements, or any grounds that 
a reasonable person would find grounds for discharge. 
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Union Calendar No. 435 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3706 
[Report No. 112–600] 
A BILL 
To create the Office of Chief Financial Officer of 
the Government of the Virgin Islands, and for 
other purposes. 
JULY 17, 2012 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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