Rules And Judiciary Committee To Meet On Thursday To Consider Bills, Vet Nominees To Boards And Commissions

ST. CROIX — Senator Kenneth Gittens, chairman of the Committee on Rules and Judiciary, has announced the committee’s second hearing this week — scheduled for Thursday, January 21, at 09:30 a.m., a press release Mr. Gittens offered issued on Tuesday revealed.

According to the  release, the hearing will be held at the Frits Lawaetz Conference Room on the island of St. Croix, to consider Governor Kenneth Mapp’s nomination of the following individuals to fill some vacant positions on board and commissions: Kurt A. Walcott as member of the Real Estate Commission; Secundino Roman-Cruz as member of the V.I. Taxicab Commission; and Theresa M. Frorup-Alie as member of the Juan F. Luis Hospital Board of Directors.

“We still have a number of vacant positions on many of our boards and commissions and as they are forwarded from Government House, our committee will continue to vet these candidates to ensure that they are a suitable fit for the positions,” the second-term Democrat said.

Mr. Gittens said in the second block of items on the agenda, the Rules and Judiciary Committee will consider three bills that have already been vetted in their committee of jurisdiction. The committee will conduct final discussion and deliberations on the bills that will include:

• Bill No. 31-0037 – an Act amending Title 14 Virgin Islands Code, Chapter 110, Section 2203 relating to aggravated identity theft, making the theft of a minor’s identity an aggravated offense, and increasing the penalties for aggravated identity theft.
• Bill No. 31-0151 – an Act amending Title 2 Virgin Islands Code, Chapter 2, regarding the submission of certifications with the executive budget.
• Bill No. 31-0188 – an Act amending Title 19 Virgin Islands Code, Chapter 58 to establish the Virgin Islands Blood Donation Program.

“As our Rules and Judiciary Committee enters its second year under my chairmanship, we are still primarily conducting nomination hearings for potential members of the governor’s cabinet as well as members of varying boards and commissions. We are also tasked, however, with shepherding bills through from their respective committee to the full body and we are also continuing to effectively carry out that role,” Mr. Gittens concluded.