45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2002

RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; CREATING THE OFFICE OF MEXICAN AFFAIRS; CREATING A LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE; PROVIDING POWERS AND DUTIES; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. OFFICE OF MEXICAN AFFAIRS--CREATED--ADMINISTRATIVE ATTACHMENT--POWERS AND DUTIES.--

A. The "office of Mexican affairs" is created in the office of the governor.

B. The head of the office of Mexican affairs is the "Mexican affairs officer". He shall be appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate. The Mexican affairs officer shall serve at the pleasure of the governor.

C. Within available appropriations, the Mexican affairs officer may appoint such other professional, technical and clerical assistants as necessary to carry out the duties of the office.

D. The office of Mexican affairs, under the direction of the governor, is primarily responsible for conducting the state's relations with the Republic of Mexico and the state of Chihuahua. To the extent allowed by law and necessary to ensure that common economic, political, cultural, health and safety and infrastructure issues with the Republic of Mexico and the state of Chihuahua are coordinated, the office shall direct or oversee the activities of the economic development department, the tourism department, the office of cultural affairs, the state highway and transportation department, the department of health, the department of environment, the department of public safety, the New Mexico border commission, the border authority and the joint border research institute at New Mexico state university as those activities relate to improving New Mexico-Mexico relations and trade and encouraging or funding appropriate border development.

Section 2. MEXICAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE--CREATED--TERMINATION.--The "Mexican affairs committee" is created as a joint interim legislative committee. The committee shall function from the date of its appointment until the first day of December prior to the first session of the forty-seventh legislature.

Section 3. MEXICAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP--APPOINTMENT--VACANCIES.--

A. The Mexican affairs committee shall be composed of ten members. Five members of the house of representatives shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and five members of the senate shall be appointed by the senate committees' committee or, if the senate appointments are made in the interim, by the president pro tempore of the senate after consultation with and agreement of a majority of the members of the senate committees' committee. The speaker of the house and the president pro tempore shall each designate a co-chairman of the committee.

B. Members shall be appointed from each house so as to give the two major political parties in each house the same proportionate representation on the committee as prevails in each house; provided, however, that in no event shall either party have fewer than one member from that house on the committee.

C. A vacancy on the Mexican affairs committee shall be filled by appointment in the same manner as the original appointment.

D. No action shall be taken by the committee if a majority of the total membership from either house on the committee rejects the action.

Section 4. DUTIES--COOPERATION.--

A. After its appointment, the Mexican affairs committee shall hold one organizational meeting to develop a work plan and budget for the ensuing interim. The work plan and budget shall be submitted to the New Mexico legislative council for approval.

B. Upon approval of its work plan and budget, the committee shall:

(1) oversee the state's relations with the Republic of Mexico and the state of Chihuahua;

(2) hold hearings to ascertain whether state agencies and institutions are coordinating their efforts to improve New Mexico-Mexico relations, trade and sociocultural exchanges and to improve border development, including improving the region's economy, environment, education and health and safety; and to evaluate potential legislation, including requests for funding, that relate to border development or the improvement of New Mexico-Mexico relations, trade and sociocultural exchanges;

(3) establish relations with legislative agencies and committees in the state of Chihuahua to identify and resolve common problems; and

(4) recommend legislation to the legislature.

C. State agencies and institutions, the border authority, the joint border research institute at New Mexico state university and local governments shall assist the committee as requested.

Section 5. SUBCOMMITTEES.--

A. Subcommittees of the Mexican affairs committee shall be created only by majority vote of all members appointed to the committee and the approval of the New Mexico legislative council. A subcommittee shall be composed of at least one member from the senate and one member from the house of representatives, and at least one member of the minority party shall be a member of the subcommittee.

B. All meetings and expenditures of a subcommittee shall be approved by the full Mexican affairs committee in advance of subcommittee meetings or expenditures, and the approval shall be shown in the minutes of the committee.

Section 6. REPORT.--By December 15 of each year, the Mexican affairs committee shall make a report of its findings and recommendations for the consideration of the legislature.

Section 7. STAFF.--The staff of the Mexican affairs committee shall be provided by the legislative council service. The legislative council service may contract for services for the Mexican affairs committee.

Section 8. APPROPRIATIONS.--

A. Three hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($325,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the office of the governor for expenditure in fiscal year 2003 for operations of the office of Mexican affairs. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2003 shall revert to the general fund.

B. Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative council service for expenditure in fiscal year 2003 for operations and staffing of the Mexican affairs committee. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2003 shall revert to the general fund.

Section 9. DELAYED REPEAL.--Sections 2 through 7 of this act are repealed effective July 1, 2004.