Lemanu-Talauega admin bills go to Fono for consideration

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — In a release issued last week the Lemanu-Talauega Administration announced it has submitted the following Administrative Requests before the 37th Legislature, 3rd Regular Session:

ADMINISTRATIVE REQUEST FOR IMPLIED CONSENT TESTING OF IMPAIRED DRIVERS

Currently, our laws only provide for implied consent testing of breath for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) cases.Current testing procedures only account for the detection of alcohol in the breath of a suspected driver.  This creates a challenge in prosecuting drivers who are driving while impaired by drugs.  

This Administrative Request is for a bill that provides implied consent testing of drivers’ blood to confirm the presence of drugs that impair their driving or those involved in severe accidents. This bill is an important measure to combat drug abuse in our Territory.

ADMINISTRATIVE REQUEST TO ESTABLISH THE OFFICE OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Laws regulating the management of government property were adopted in 1983. The American Samoa Government’s property management needs have changed significantly since that time in terms of type, volume, and value of property managed. Executive Order 01-1998 established the Office of Property Management and separated the function of property management from the Office of Procurement but did not give the Office of Property Management authority to promulgate rules.

This bill establishes the Office of Property Management as a separate entity from the Office of Procurement and allows the Office of Property Management to promulgate administrative rules. Granting them this authority will increase compliance and accountability of federal funds.

ADMINISTRATIVE REQUEST TO GRANT RULEMAKING AUTHORITY TO DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

The Administrative Request is for a bill to specify rulemaking authority for the Department of Human Resources. Current law does not clearly give this authority, and the Department of Human Resources needs to make rules to effectively carry out its functions of managing matters relating to government employees.

ADMINISTRATIVE REQUEST TO ESTABLISHING A SAMOAN LANGUAGE COMMISSION IN STATUTE

While the majority of American Samoans speak Samoan as their home language or their first language, American Samoa does not have an official language designated in statute.

The Samoan Language Commission bill will establish a Samoan Language Commission and declare that the Samoan Language is designated as one of the Official Languages in American Samoa and is recognized as of equal importance with the English language in education, government, economic and social life of the people of American Samoa. The bill's purpose is to ensure the Samoan language remains vibrant to support the survival and development of the Fa’aSamoa.