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A bill to amend Public Law 93-435 with respect to the Northern Mariana Islands, providing parity with Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.

Public Law 113-34 · S. 256 · 113th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Sep 18, 2013 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Cosponsors (1): Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 415 yea, 0 nay415–0
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Conveys to the government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) submerged lands surrounding such Islands and extending three geographical miles outward from their coastlines.

Includes the CNMI among the islands where the President may establish naval defensive sea areas and airspace reservations when necessary for national defense.

Amends the Fair Minimum Wage Act to provide for no CNMI minimum wage increases in 2013 and 2015.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 113th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 415 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

415 yea0 nay17 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(188)

Republicans who voted yea(227)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 453 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 573Identical bill

    To amend Public Law 93-435 with respect to the Northern Mariana Islands, providing parity with Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.

  • H.R. 2200Related bill

    Territorial Omnibus Act of 2013

  • S. 1237Related bill

    Omnibus Territories Act of 2013

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Sep 18, 2013Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 113-34.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 12, 2013FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 10, 2013FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 415 - 0 (Roll no. 454).House roll call 454
  5. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  6. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  7. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 256.
  8. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  9. FloorFloor · Mr. Hastings (WA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  10. Aug 2, 2013FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  11. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  12. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerne…
  13. Aug 1, 2013FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  14. Jun 27, 2013CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 109.
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Wyden with an amendment. With written report No. 113-55.
  16. May 16, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
  17. Apr 25, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 113-28.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  19. Feb 7, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S524-525)
  21. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.