A bill to create the district court for the Northern Mariana Islands, implementing article IV of the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America.
Public Law 95-157 · S. 2149 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Nov 8, 1977 · Law
Sponsor: Sen. James Eastland (D-MS)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Creates the District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands pursuant to the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America.
Provides that the President shall, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint a judge for the District Court for a term of eight years.
Authorizes the Chief Judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit of the United States to assign justices of the High Court of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands or judges of courts of record of the Northern Mariana Islands who are licensed attorneys in good standing or a circuit or district judge of the ninth circuit, including a judge of the District Court of Guam who is appointed by the President, and authorizes the Chief Justice of the United States to assign any other United States circuit or district judge with the consent of the judge so assigned and of the chief judge of his circuit to serve temporarily as a judge in the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands whenever such an assignment is necessary for the proper dispatch of the business of the court.
Authorizes the President to appoint a United States attorney and a marshall for the Northern Mariana Islands.
Applies certain Federal rules and statutes pertaining to District Courts to the District Court for the Northern Marianas. Grants the District Court for the Northern Marianas the jurisdiction of a United States district court, except that in all cases arising under the Constitution, treaties and laws of the United States, it shall have jurisdiction regardless of the amount in controversy. Grants the Court original jurisdiction over all matters not otherwise vested in itself or in the courts of the Northern Marianas provided that in these matters it shall be considered a court of the Northern Marianas for the purpose of determining the requirements of indictment by grand jury or trial by jury. Grants to the Court appellate jurisdiction and procedure as provided by the Constitution and laws of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Provides that the relations between the courts of the Northern Mariana Islands and courts established under the Constitution and or laws of the United States shall be the same as between Federal and State courts, except that for the first 15 years following the establishment of an appellate court of the Northern Mariana Islands, appeals from all final decisions of the highest court of the Northern Marianas shall be to the U.S. court of appeals having jurisdiction, unless such decisions are properly reviewable by the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands according to the provisions of this Act.
Authorizes the appropriation of necessary sums to carry out the purposes of this Act.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Nov 8, 1977Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-157.
- Oct 27, 1977PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Oct 26, 1977PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Oct 25, 1977FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Judiciary Committee
- Oct 17, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- Oct 13, 1977FloorFloor · Measure repassed Senate with amendment.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Oct 6, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Sep 27, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.