US Territories’ July 23-29, 2018 news week in tweets

by Jul 28, 2018News Week in Tweets0 comments

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority Makes Changes Towards Privatization

Governor Ricardo Rosselló signed a bill that will move the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) towards privatization. The goal of the bill is attract businesses and residents by provide better and more efficient electricity to the people of Puerto Rico.

US Representatives Visits US Virgin Islands on Fact Finding Trip

15 US lawmakers visited the US Virgin Islands to find out how Congress could support the islands as they recover from Hurricane Maria. The delegation visited families, local officials, and faith and community groups to learn more about the ongoing crisis on the islands.

Delegate Bordallo Seeks Voting Rights and Labor Control

Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo introduced a constitutional amendment to the House that would give presidential voting rights to Guam and other US territories. Her amendment proposes that any US territory with a population of more than 30,000 would be able to cast electoral votes for the president and vice president. She also introduced a bill that would give Guam’s governor the authority to determine the territory’s need for temporary workers in the labor market.

Trump Signs Northern Mariana Islands US Workforce Act

Donald Trump signed the Northern Mariana Islands US Workforce Act of 2018. The law extends the CW-1 visa program which allows employers to hire foreign employees in the CNMI. The new act has required a mandatory fraud prevention and detection fee, and all employers must enroll in E-verify, which is a web-based system that compares various documents to ensure employees are authorized to work in the US.

Bordallo Introduces AMBER Alert Bill for US Territories

AMBER Alert is a warning system to help find missing children that is currently used the in the mainland US, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands. Delegate Madeleine Bordallo introduced a bill that would authorize funding to integrate AMBER Alert in the other US territories: Guam, American Samoa, and the CNMI.