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

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO REFER TO THE APPROPRIATE INTERIM COMMITTEE A STUDY OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAWS AND PRACTICES.

WHEREAS, an equitable and efficient workers' compensation program is essential to employers, employees and the economic health of New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, a special session of the legislature in 1990 substantially rewrote the workers' compensation laws of this state and initiated a completely new workers' compensation program; and

WHEREAS, for the first four years of the new program, a joint interim workers' compensation oversight committee kept the legislature informed of the status of the program and proposed important changes that needed to be made to the program; and

WHEREAS, there has been no legislative oversight or study of workers' compensation for over seven years; and

WHEREAS, the legislature should study the workers' compensation program and identify any problems or deficiencies that need to be addressed;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to assign the study of the workers' compensation program to the appropriate interim committee; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee examine the statutes, constitutional provisions, regulations and court decisions governing the workers' compensation laws in New Mexico, consult with and solicit advice from the director of the workers' compensation administration and the superintendent of insurance and recommend legislation or changes if any are found to be necessary to the first session of the forty-sixth legislature; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico legislative council.