States and the Government of Palau (48 
U.S.C. 1931 note).’’. 
(b) RULEMAKING.— 
(1) SECRETARY
OF
HOMELAND
SECURITY.— 
Notwithstanding the requirements under section 
553(b) of title 5, United States Code, the Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall publish in the Federal 
Register, not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, an interim final rule that 
specifies how the Secretary intends to implement the 
amendments made by subsection (a) that relate to 
the responsibilities of the Secretary. 
(2) SECRETARY
OF
LABOR.—Notwithstanding 
the requirements under section 553(b) of title 5, 
United States Code, the Secretary of Labor shall 
publish in the Federal Register, not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, an 
interim final rule that specifies how the Secretary 
intends to implement the amendments made by sub-
section (a) that relate to the responsibilities of the 
Secretary. 
(3) RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE GOVERNOR.— 
In developing the interim final rules under para-
graphs (1) and (2), the Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity and the Secretary of Labor—
(A) shall each consider, in good faith, any 
written public recommendations regarding the 
implementation of this Act that are submitted 
by the Governor of the Commonwealth not later 
than 60 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act; and 
(B) may include provisions in such rule 
that are responsive to any recommendation of 
the Governor that is not inconsistent with this 
Act, including a recommendation to reserve a 
number of permits each year for occupational 
categories necessary to maintain public health 
or safety in the Commonwealth. 
(c) DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TECHNICAL AS-
SISTANCE.—Not later than October 1, 2019, and bienni-
ally thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit 
a report to Congress that describes the fulfillment of the 
Department of the Interior’s responsibilities to the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands— 
(1) to identify opportunities for economic 
growth and diversification; 
(2) to provide assistance in recruiting, training, 
and hiring United States workers; and 
(3) to provide such other technical assistance 
and consultation as outlined in section 702(e) of the
Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (48 
U.S.C. 1807). 
(d) OUTREACH AND TRAINING.—Not later than 120 
days after the date on which the Secretary of Labor pub-
lishes an interim final rule in the Federal Register in ac-
cordance with subsection (b)(2), the Secretary shall con-
duct outreach and training in the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands for employers and workers on 
the foreign labor certification process set forth in section 
6 of the Joint Resolution entitled ‘‘A 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’’, as 
amended by subsection (b), including the minimum wage 
requirement set forth in subsection (d)(2)(C) of such sec-
tion. 
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as specifically other-
wise provided, this Act and the amendments made 
by this Act— 
(A) shall take effect on the date of the en-
actment of this Act; and 
(B) shall apply to petitions for Common-
wealth Only Transitional Workers filed on or 
after such date.
(2) AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF HOMELAND 
SECURITY.—The Secretary of Homeland Security, in 
the Secretary’s discretion, may delay the effective 
date of any provision of this Act relating to Com-
monwealth Only Transition Workers until the effec-
tive date of the interim final rule described in sub-
section (b), except for provisions providing annual 
numerical caps for such workers. 
Passed the House of Representatives June 5, 2018. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5956 
AN ACT 
To incentivize the hiring of United States workers 
in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, and for other purposes.