Liberia: House, Senate to Jointly Discuss Pending Bills

25 May 2022
The New Dawn (Monrovia)
By Bridgett Milton And Jonathan Browne

The House of Representatives has set up a conference committee to meet the Liberian Senate on several Legislative instruments, including the Dual Citizenship bill.

The House of Representatives took the decision Tuesday, May 24, 2022, following a communication from the Liberian Senate, noting that its committee during deliberation took note of changes made by the House.

According to the Senate, the fact that each chamber has its own version of bills that need to be synchronized, there should be a joint conference meeting.

Bills sent to the House of Representatives by the Liberian Senate are as follows; an act amending and restating an act to establish the Liberia anti-corruption commission, and an act to protect whistleblowers to be known as whistleblower act of 2001.

Others include an act to protect witnesses to be known as witness protection act of 2001; an act to amend the Alien and Nationality law; the money laundering, terroristic financing, preventive measures and proceeds of crimes act of 2001, and an act to establish the financial intelligence agency.

During the deliberation, Montserrado County District # 8 Representative and Chair on Executive, Acarous Moses Gray clarified that the document coming from the Senate provides that they have not concurred.

Rep. Gray explained that the bills originated from the House of Representatives and were sent to the Senate for concurrence, so the document is a non-concurrence document.

The Liberian Senate on Friday, May 20, 2022, voted to pass those bills following a conference with the House of Representatives. The Senate Judiciary Committee during its deliberations made some amendments thereby, subjecting the proposed law to a conference committee.

Meanwhile, the Plenary of the Liberian Senate has cited authorities of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ministry of Health to appear before the Senate standing committee on Lands, Mines, Energy, Natural Resources and Environment.

They will appear to address concerns about chemicals allegedly used by Bea Mountain Mining Company (BMMC) that has polluted the Mafa River in Grand Cape Mount County, leaving several species dead, including a dog that ate some of the dead species.

Based on Plenary's mandate, the Chairman of the committee, Senator Simeon B. Taylor, has cited the relevant institutions to a hearing today, Wednesday, May 25, 2022, to institute measures to tackle said emerging environmental crisis.

The decision by the Senate to cite the relevant institutions was based on a disclosure made by Senator Varney G. Sherman during deliberation on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

Senator Sherman, who hails from Grand Cape Mount, in his presentation called on the Senate to immediately investigate the alleged environmental crisis in his County so as to remedy the situation as it borders on the lives of the citizenry.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/diaspora-liberians-relieved-as-senate-oks-controversial-dual-citizenship-bill/

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