[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12470]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS ECONOMIC EXPANSION ACT

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be discharged from further 
consideration of H.R. 339 and the Senate proceed to its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       An bill (H.R. 339) to amend Public Law 94-241 with respect 
     to the Northern Mariana Islands.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. PORTMAN. I ask unanimous consent that the Murkowski-Cantwell 
amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be considered 
read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 744) was agreed to, as follows:

   (Purpose: To permit the extension of 350 nonimmigrant permits for 
      workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands)

       Beginning on page 2, strike line 19, and all that follows 
     through the end and insert the following:
       (B) by striking ```ending on December 31, 2019'.'' and 
     inserting ``ending on December 31, 2019, except that for 
     fiscal year 2017 an additional 350 permits shall be made 
     available for extension of existing permits, expiring after 
     the date of enactment of the Northern Mariana Islands 
     Economic Expansion Act through September 30, 2017, of which 
     no fewer than 60 shall be reserved for healthcare 
     practitioners and technical operations (as that term is 
     defined by the Department of Labor as Standard Occupational 
     Classification Group 29-0000 or any successor provision), and 
     no fewer than 10 shall be reserved for plant and system 
     operators (as that term is defined by the Department of Labor 
     as Standard Occupational Classification Group 51-8000 or any 
     successor provision).''.
  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed, and the bill to be read a 
third time.
  The bill was read the third time.
  The bill (H.R. 339), as amended, was passed.

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