FSM Congress News, March 24, 2004

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FSM Congress News, March 24, 2004

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Congress): March 24, 2004 –
Congress Speaker Peter M. Christian has called for a
special session of the 13^th FSM Congress to convene of the 25^th of March,
2004. This will be the 4^th Special Session of the current Congress.

The items Congress will consider during the upcoming session will include
amendments to the budget procedure law to make the current procedure
consistent to the requirements of the amended Compact.

Congress will also consider providing funds for the purchase of the Chuuk
Star Hotel in Chuuk as the permanent site of the College of Micronesia-FSM
Chuuk campus.

President Urusemal requested $1.1 million to purchase the property after
many long months of negotiations between the management of COM-FSM and other
parties involved in the plan of purchase.

The bill to allow payment of surviving spouse benefits under the Social
Security Act to continue after the surviving spouse has remarried passed on
1^st Reading during the 3^rd Special Session of the 13^th Congress. It is an
unfinished item and could be taken up at any time during the session.

Congress will go into recess on 28 March and reconvene on the 3^rd of April.

The five-day recess would allow Members of Congress to participate in the up
coming 3^rd FSM Economic Summit, which is scheduled, take place March 29 to
April 2. Congress will then reconvene and stay in session until the 7th of
the same month.