The bill that would require students in American Samoa receiving government scholarships to return and work in the territory has been criticised as unfair.
The bill says that all students receiving government scholarships must return and work in the public or private sector and students who do not return will have to repay the full amounts of their scholarships plus interest.
Dr Trudi Iuli-Sala is the president of watchdog group Common Cause, says she is speaking out not on behalf of the group but as an educator and mother.
She says the government shouldn't force students to return to work on the territory when students have earned their scholarships and there's not many jobs to come back to.
"The scholarship programme rewards those who work very hard to make the academic grade they expect, so when you get a scholarship that's exactly what you merit, you merit funding from this government. And for them to ask students to come back, or mandate it is very wrong."
Dr. Trudie Iuli-Sala.
However the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Joey Cummings,says this is not unique to American Samoa and other American states employ similar programmes as a way to fill skill shortages.
