Micronesia · Legislation
Legislation and primary sources
Where to find the authoritative text of the law in Micronesia, and how to confirm it is still in force.
Sources of law, ranked
- The national Constitution
- Supreme law; Article IV rights, Article V traditional rights, Article XII land restrictions.
- Acts of Congress
- Unicameral national Congress of 14 senators.
- State constitutions and statutes
- Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap each legislate for land, inheritance and local matters.
- Customary law
- Recognised nationally and applied through state and customary courts; varies significantly between the four states.
- Compact of Free Association
- Treaty with the United States on defence, assistance and visa-free migration.
The legislative process
Bills pass Congress and are signed by the President, who has a veto that Congress may override. Because the four at-large senators serve longer terms and are the pool from which the President is drawn, national politics is structured around balancing the states rather than around parties — there are no formal political parties. Constitutional amendments may be proposed by Congress, by a convention, or by popular initiative, and require ratification by three-quarters of the voters in three of the four states.
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