48 U.S.C. § 2142 (TERRITORIES AND INSULAR POSSESSIONS)
§ 2142. Approval of Budgets
(a) Reasonable schedule for development of Budgets
As soon as practicable after all of the members and the Chair have been appointed to the Oversight Board in the fiscal year in which the Oversight Board is established, and in each fiscal year thereafter during which the Oversight Board is in operation, the Oversight Board shall deliver a notice to the Governor and the Legislature providing a schedule for developing, submitting, approving, and certifying Budgets for a period of fiscal years as determined by the Oversight Board in its sole discretion but in any case a period of not less than one fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the notice is delivered. The notice may also set forth a schedule for revisions to Budgets that have already been certified, which revisions must be subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Oversight Board. The Oversight Board shall consult with the Governor and the Legislature in establishing a schedule, but the Oversight Board shall retain sole discretion to set or, by delivery of a subsequent notice to the Governor and the Legislature, change the dates of such schedule as it deems appropriate and reasonably feasible.
(b) Revenue forecast
The Oversight Board shall submit to the Governor and Legislature a forecast of revenues for the period covered by the Budgets by the time specified in the notice delivered under subsection (a), for use by the Governor in developing the Budget under subsection (c).
(c) Budgets developed by Governor
(1) Governor’s proposed budgets
The Governor shall submit to the Oversight Board proposed Budgets by the time specified in the notice delivered under subsection (a). In consultation with the Governor in accordance with the process specified in the notice delivered under subsection (a), the Oversight Board shall determine in its sole discretion whether each proposed Budget is compliant with the applicable Fiscal Plan and—
(A) if a proposed Budget is a compliant budget, the Oversight Board shall—
(i) approve the Budget; and
(ii) if the Budget is a Territory Budget, submit the Territory Budget to the Legislature; or
(B) if the Oversight Board determines that the Budget is not a compliant budget, the Oversight Board shall provide to the Governor—
(i) a notice of violation that includes a description of any necessary corrective action; and
(ii) an opportunity to correct the violation in accordance with paragraph (2).
(2) Governor’s revisions
The Governor may correct any violations identified by the Oversight Board and submit a revised proposed Budget to the Oversight Board in accordance with paragraph (1). The Governor may submit as many revised Budgets to the Oversight Board as the schedule established in the notice delivered under subsection (a) permits. If the Governor fails to develop a Budget that the Oversight Board determines is a compliant budget by the time specified in the notice delivered under subsection (a), the Oversight Board shall develop and submit to the Governor, in the case of an Instrumentality Budget, and to the Governor and the Legislature, in the case of a Territory Budget, a revised compliant budget.
(d) Budget approval by Legislature
(1) Legislature adopted budget
The Legislature shall submit to the Oversight Board the Territory Budget adopted by the Legislature by the time specified in the notice delivered under subsection (a). The Oversight Board shall determine whether the adopted Territory Budget is a compliant budget and—
(A) if the adopted Territory Budget is a compliant budget, the Oversight Board shall issue a compliance certification for such compliant budget pursuant to subsection (e); and
(B) if the adopted Territory Budget is not a compliant budget, the Oversight Board shall provide to the Legislature—
(i) a notice of violation that includes a description of any necessary corrective action; and
(ii) an opportunity to correct the violation in accordance with paragraph (2).
(2) Legislature’s revisions
The Legislature may correct any violations identified by the Oversight Board and submit a revised Territory Budget to the Oversight Board in accordance with the process established under paragraph (1) and by the time specified in the notice delivered under subsection (a). The Legislature may submit as many revised adopted Territory Budgets to the Oversight Board as the schedule established in the notice delivered under subsection (a) permits. If the Legislature fails to adopt a Territory Budget that the Oversight Board determines is a compliant budget by the time specified in the notice delivered under subsection (a), the Oversight Board shall develop a revised Territory Budget that is a compliant budget and submit it to the Governor and the Legislature.
(e) Certification of Budgets
(1) Certification of developed and approved Territory Budgets
If the Governor and the Legislature develop and approve a Territory Budget that is a compliant budget by the day before the first day of the fiscal year for which the Territory Budget is being developed and in accordance with the process established under subsections (c) and (d), the Oversight Board shall issue a compliance certification to the Governor and the Legislature for such Territory Budget.
(2) Certification of developed Instrumentality Budgets
If the Governor develops an Instrumentality Budget that is a compliant budget by the day before the first day of the fiscal year for which the Instrumentality Budget is being developed and in accordance with the process established under subsection (c), the Oversight Board shall issue a compliance certification to the Governor for such Instrumentality Budget.
(3) Deemed certification of Territory Budgets
If the Governor and the Legislature fail to develop and approve a Territory Budget that is a compliant budget by the day before the first day of the fiscal year for which the Territory Budget is being developed, the Oversight Board shall submit a Budget to the Governor and the Legislature (including any revision to the Territory Budget made by the Oversight Board pursuant to subsection (d)(2)) and such Budget shall be—
(A) deemed to be approved by the Governor and the Legislature;
(B) the subject of a compliance certification issued by the Oversight Board to the Governor and the Legislature; and
(C) in full force and effect beginning on the first day of the applicable fiscal year.
(4) Deemed certification of Instrumentality Budgets
If the Governor fails to develop an Instrumentality Budget that is a compliant budget by the day before the first day of the fiscal year for which the Instrumentality Budget is being developed, the Oversight Board shall submit an Instrumentality Budget to the Governor (including any revision to the Instrumentality Budget made by the Oversight Board pursuant to subsection (c)(2)) and such Budget shall be—
(A) deemed to be approved by the Governor;
(B) the subject of a compliance certification issued by the Oversight Board to the Governor; and
(C) in full force and effect beginning on the first day of the applicable fiscal year.
(f) Joint development of Budgets
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if, in the case of a Territory Budget, the Governor, the Legislature, and the Oversight Board, or in the case of an Instrumentality Budget, the Governor and the Oversight Board, jointly develop such Budget for the fiscal year that meets the requirements under this section, and that the relevant parties certify that such budget reflects a consensus among them, then such Budget shall serve as the Budget for the territory or territorial instrumentality for that fiscal year.
(Pub. L. 114–187, title II, § 202, June 30, 2016, 130 Stat. 566.)