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The Honorable Pedro P. Tenorio
President, The Senate
and
3
The Honorable Joaquin I. Pangelinan
House Representatives
Second Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature
Saipan, CM 96950
Dear President Tenorio and Speaker Pangelinan:
I am pleased to inform you that I have approved this
date the following A c t passed by the Second Northern
Marianas Commonwealth Legislature, Second Regular.
Session, 1980 as follow:
Senate Bill No. 2-61, H.D.1, entitled:
"An Act to authorize the Marianas Public
Land Corporation to waive homestead
requirements relating to agricultural
honesteading in effect prior to January 9',
1978", as Public Law No. 2-13.
Certified copy of the above Act bearing my signature
for your file .
CAPL~OSS. C A ~ C H O
Governor
%e
&nab
NORTHERN MARIANAS COMMONWEALTH LEGISLATURE
P.O. Box 129
Saipan, CM 96950
CERTIFICATION
S.B. NO.
2-61,
H.D.l
We h e r e b y c e r t i f y t h a t t h e foregoing b i l l passed t h e
S e n a t e and the House of R e p r k s e n t a t i v e s by a m a j o r i t y v o t e of
t h e members, a quorum b e i
C
W
-
Legis la tur e ,
PUBLIC LAW NO. 2-13
SENATE B I L L NO. 2-61, H.D. 1
.SECOND NORTHERN M A R I A N A S COMMONWEALTH LEGISLATURE
SECOND REGULAR SESSION, 1980
To a u t h o r i z e t h e Marianas P u b l i c Land C o r p o r a t i o n t o w a i v e homestead
r e q u i r e m e n t s r e l a t i n g t o a g r i c u l t u r a l homesteading i n e f f e c t p r i o r
t o J a n u a r y 9, 1978.
J u l i a n S. Calvo, P e d r o P. T e n o r i o , Benjamin T. Manglona,
O f f e r e d by . S e n a t o r s
I g n a c i o K.
Date:
Quichocho, and J o s e p h S. I n o s
J u l y 7 , 1980
SENATE ACTION
Referred t o :
Committee on P r o g r a m
S t a n d i n g Cornnittee R e p o r t No. 2-45
F i r s t Reading:
J u l y 24, 1980
Second and F i n a l
Reading:
August I , 1980
HOUSE ACTION
Referred to:
Committee on R e s o u r c e s and Development
S t a n d i n g Committee R e p o r t No. 2-59
F i r s t Reading :
November 20, 1980
Second and F i n a l
Reading:
November 21, 1980
u
~oan&dEd~a~o
Senate Clerk
/
SECOND NORTHERN MARIANAS COMMONWEALTH LEGISLATURE
SENATE BILL NO.
H.D. 1
2-61,
FIRST REGULAR SESSION, 1980
AN ACT
To a u t h o r i z e t h e Marianas P u b l i c Land C o r p o r a t i o n t o waive homestead
r e q u i r e m e n t s r e l a t i n g t o a g r i c u l t u r a l h ome steading i n e f f e c t p r i o r t o
J a n u a r y 9 , 1978.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE NORTHERN MARIANAS COMMONWEALTH LEGISLATURE:
S e c t i o n 1.
Short T i t l e .
T h i s A c t s h a l l be known and may be c i t e d
as t h e "Homestead Waiver Act of 1980".
S e c t i o n 2.
(a)
F i n d i n g s and Purpose.
The L e g i s l a t u r e f i n d s t h a t a l a r g e number of
a g r i c u l t u r a l homestead a p p l i c a n t s and o t h e r o c c u p a n t s of public
l a n d s were a u t h o r i z e d by p r e v i o u s government o f f i c i a l s to e n t e r
p u b l i c lands f o r a g r i c u l t u r a l purposes without a g r i c u l t u r a l
homestead p e r m i t s .
(b)
The L e g i s l a t u r e f i n d s t h a t t h e s e a g r i c u l t u r a l
homestead a p p l i c a n t s and o t h e r o c c u p a n t s o f p u b l i c l a n d s c a n n o t
r e c e i v e t h e s e l a n d s i n f e e s i m p l e b e c a u s e of r e q u i r e m e n t s ,
l i m i t a t i o n s and r e g u l a t i o n s r e l a t i n g t o a g r i c u l t u r a l homesteads
i n e f f e c t p r i o r t o J a n u a r y 9 , 1978.
(c)
The L e g i s l a t u r e f u r t h e r f i n d s t h a t many i n d i v i d u a l
p e r s o n s have used p u b l i c l a n d s c o n t i n u o u s l y f o r o v e r f i f t e e n
y e a r s f o r a g r i c u l t u r a l purposes w i t h o u t any a g r i c u l t u r a l
homestead p e r m i t o r governmental a u t h o r i z a t i o n .
(d)
It i s t h e p u r p o s e of t h i s A c t t o :
(1)
P r o v i d e t h e Marianas P u b l i c Land C o r p o r a t i o n
w i t h s u f f i c i e n t a u t h o r i t y and f l e x i b i l i t y t o
waive r e q u i r e m e n t s , l i m i t a t i o n s and r e g u l a t i o n s
SENATE BILL NO.
2-61, H.D.1
r e l a t i n g t o a g r i c u l t u r a l homesteading i n e f f e c t
p r i o r t o January 9 , 1978; and
(2)
P r o v i d e t h e Marianas P u b l i c Land C o r p o r a t i o n w i t h
t h e a u t h o r i t y and f l e x i b i l i t y t o implement
Article X I , S e c t i o n 5 ( a ) of t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n of
t h e Northern Mariana I s l a n d s r e l a t i n g t o
p e r s o n s occupying p u b l i c l a n d s f o r o v e r f i f t e e n
years
Section 3.
.
Waiver of Homestead Requirements.
The Marianas
P u b l i c Land C o r p o r a t i o n i s hereby a u t h o r i z e d t o waive any r e q u i r e m e n t s ,
l i m i t a t i o n s o r r e g u l a t i o n s r e l a t i n g t o t h e a g r i c u l t u r a l homesteading
program i n e f f e c t p r i o r t o January 9 , 1978.
Any p e r s o n who can
demonstrate continuous and a c t u a l occupancy o r u s e of p u b l i c land f o r
a g r i c u l t u r a l purposes f o r a p e r i o d of f i f t e e n y e a r s p r i o r t o January 9,
1978 s h a l l be l e g a l l y e n t i t l e d t o a l l t h e r i g h t s and i n t e r e s t s of
ownership of such l a n d , and t h e Marianas P u b l i c Land C o r p o r a t i o n s h a l l
convey such l a n d by deed t o any p e r s o n who complies w i t h procedures
and requirements f o r g r a n t i n g of deeds e s t a b l i s h e d under S e c t i o n 4 of
t h i s Act.
S e c t i o n 4.
Conveyance of P u b l i c Lands
-
L i m i t a t i o n s and
.
Requirements
(a)
The Marianas P u b l i c Land C o r p o r a t i o n s h a l l e s t a b l i s h
t h e procedures f o r g r a n t i n g deeds t o p e r s o n s who have e s t a b l i s h e d
continuous u s e of p u b l i c lands f o r a t l e a s t f i f t e e n y e a r s a s of
t h e e f f e c t i v e d a t e of t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n .
Page 2 of 5
SENATE BILL NO.
(b)
2-61, H.D.l
A p e r s o n r e c e i v i n g a deed under t h i s Act s h a l l be
l i m i t e d t o a n a g r i c u l t u r a l homestead l o t t h a t does n o t exceed
t h e land a r e a a l l o w a b l e a t t h e time t h e l a n d was e n t e r e d ,
occupied and improved.
S e c t i o n 5.
Rules and R e g u l a t i o n s .
The Marianas P u b l i c Land
C o r p o r a t i o n s h a l l p u b l i s h i n t h e Commonwealth R e g i s t e r proposed
Not l e s s t h a n
r e g u l a t i o n s t o c a r r y o u t t h e purposes of t h i s Act.
t h i r t y d a y s , b u t n o t more t h a n f o r t y - f i v e d a y s , a f t e r such p u b l i c a t i o n
t h e C o r p o r a t i o n s h a l l , a f t e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n of any comments r e c e i v e d
from t h e p u b l i c , t r a n s m i t such r e g u l a t i o n s i n f i n a l form t o t h e
L e g i s l a t u r e f o r a p p r o v a l , accompanied by such comments.
The
L e g i s l a t u r e s h a l l be deemed t o have approved such r e g u l a t i o n s , u n l e s s
e i t h e r House of t h e L e g i s l a t u r e , w i t h i n twenty days a f t e r t h e d a t e of
r e c e i p t of such t r a n s m i t t a l , p a s s e s a r e s o l u t i o n d i s a p p r o v i n g such
regulations.
S e c t i o n 6.
Homestead Laws S t i l l i n E f f e c t .
The waiver
a u t h o r i z a t i o n provided f o r i n S e c t i o n 3 of t h i s Act a p p l i e s only t o
p e r s o n s e l i g i b l e t o a c q u i r e t i t l e under t h e p r o v i s i o n s of S e c t i o n 4 of
t h i s Act.
A l l o t h e r p e r s o n s s e e k i n g t o a c q u i r e t i t l e t o land under
Homestead p e r m i t s s h a l l comply w i t h a p p l i c a b l e law, and t h e Marianas
P u b l i c Land C o r p o r a t i o n s h a l l a d h e r e t o a l l a p p l i c a b l e laws of t h e
Commonwealth i n a d m i n i s t e r i n g homes t e a d i n g programs.
S e c t i o n 7.
S p e c i a l Homestead Procedures.
Notwithstanding any
o t h e r p r o v i s i o n of law r e l a t i n g t o homestead r i g h t s and procedures,
any person who h a s c o n t i n u o u s l y occupied o r possessed with permission
Page 3 of 5
SENATE EILL NO.
2-61, H.D. 1
of t h e government a p a r c e l of p u b l i c l a n d , who began u s i n g such l a n d f o r
a g r i c u l t u r a l purposes p r i o r t o J a n u a r y 9 , 1978, and who h a s used s u c h
l a n d c o n t i n u o u s l y f o r s u c h p u r p o s e t h r o u g h t h e e f f e c t i v e d a t e of t h i s
Act, b u t who h a s n o t been g r a n t e d a homestead p e r m i t , s h a l l be g r a n t e d
an a g r i c u l t u r a l homestead p e r m i t which s h a l l be v a l i d f o r all
legal
p u r p o s e s , i n c l u d i n g a c q u i s i t i o n of f r e e h o l d t i t l e upon c o m p l e t i o n of
homestead requirements,
as i f i s s u e d p u r s u a n t t o o t h e r p r o v i s i o n s o f
l a w r e l a t i n g t o homestead r i g h t s and p r o c e d u r e s .
This Section s h a l l
a p p l y t o p e r s o n s who e n t e r e d p u b l i c l a n d w i t h any form of w r i t t e n
permission of t h e government, i n c l u d i n g r e v o c a b l e p e r m i t s , b u t n o t
i n c l u d i n g executed fixed- term lease agreements.
This Section s h a l l
n o t b e c o n s t r u e d t o i m p a i r t h e i s s u a n c e of homestead p e r m i t s i n t h e
manner o t h e r w i s e p r o v i d e d by law.
S e c t i o n 8.
Severability.
If any p r o v i s i o n o f t h i s Act o r any
r u l e o r r e g u l a t i o n promulgated h e r e u n d e r o r t h e a p p l i c a t i o n of any
such p r o v i s i o n , r u l e o r r e g u l a t i o n t o any p e r s o n o r c i r c u m s t a n c e s s h a l l
be h e l d i n v a l i d , by a c o u r t of competent j u r i s d i c t i o n , t h e remainder
of t h i s Act o r any r u l e s o r r e g u l a t i o n s promulgated p u r s u a n t t h e r e t o
o r t h e a p p l i c a t i o n of s u c h p r o v i s i o n s , r e g u l a t i o n s o r r u l e s t o p e r s o n s
o r c i r c u m s t a n c e s o t h e r t h a n t h o s e t o which i t i s h e l d i n v a l i d , s h a l l
not be a f f e c t e d thereby.
Page 4 o f 5
SENATE BILL NO.
1
2
S e c t i o n 9.
E f f e c t i v e Date.
2-61, H.D. 1
T h i s Act s h a l l t a k e e f f e c t upon i t s
a p p r o v a l by t h e Governor, o r upon i t s becoming law w i t h o u t such approval.
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C a r l o s IS. Camacho,
Governor
Commonwealth o f t h e N o r t h e r n Mariana
Is l a n d s
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