A day after questioning, the allowances of members of the Hospital Authority Board, a bill was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday which sets a standard rule for compensation of government boards and commissions.
The bill states that all boards or commissions serving ASG departments, or semi-autonomous authorities, shall be subject to a standardized stipend or allowance schedule. That is $5,000 per year for board members and $6,000 for the chairperson.
Additionally, the bill proposes that all boards of directors or commissions shall meet at least four times a year, once every quarter. And if a board or commission member misses more than two meetings in a quarter, he or she shall be removed and the Governor shall appoint another individual to fill that vacancy.
The bill was sponsored by Senator Togiola Tulafono. On Tuesday, he and the Senate President questioned how the Hospital Authority Board raised its compensation to $1,000 per meeting when the law states that their compensation is $5,000 for board members and $6,000 for the chairman.
