The CNMI Senate has passed a bill listing the essential services that will be exempted from a government shutdown in the event that a budget is not passed in the next week.
A budget bill needs to be passed before the start of fiscal year 2011 on October the 1st.
Senator Jovita Taimanao's bill passed on a 9-0 vote.
Senator Taimanao, chair of the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee, is also a member of the joint conference committee working on the 132 million US dollar budget for the fiscal year 2011.
