46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003

RELATING TO VETERANS; PROVIDING FOR THE DESIGNATION OF LAND PARCELS FOR A STATE VETERANS' CEMETERY; CREATING A FUND; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

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

Section 1. Section 28-13-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1977, Chapter 252, Section 33) is amended to read:

"28-13-1. SHORT TITLE.--[Sections 74-1-1 through 74-1-12 NMSA 1953] Chapter 28, Article 13 NMSA 1978 may be cited as the "Veterans' Service Act"."

Section 2. A new section of the Veterans' Service Act is enacted to read:

"[NEW MATERIAL] FINDINGS--STATE VETERANS' CEMETERY FUND CREATED--PURPOSE.--

A. The legislature finds that:

(1) the federal veterans' administration has no plans to establish or expand national cemeteries in New Mexico and, as space in the Santa Fe national cemetery will soon be depleted, the state has an obligation to find land for the establishment of a veterans' cemetery as a suitable alternative for the respectful interment of its veterans;

(2) parcels of state land have been identified as possible areas for a future veterans' cemetery, but studies need to be conducted to assess their appropriateness and the feasibility of such a project; and

(3) upon the state providing land for the purpose of building a veterans' cemetery, the federal veterans' administration has a state cemetery grants program through which the state could receive financial and maintenance assistance for the building and upkeep of the proposed veterans' cemetery.

B. The New Mexico veterans' service commission is the state agency responsible for the establishment of a state veterans' cemetery and for the collection and disbursement of all money collected or received pursuant to state or federal law for that purpose and may exercise any power incidental thereto.

C. The "state veterans' cemetery fund" is created in the state treasury. The fund consists of all money appropriated to it and all money collected or received by the state for purposes of establishing a state veterans' cemetery. Money in the fund is appropriated to the New Mexico veterans' service commission for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this section. All earnings of the fund shall be credited to the fund. Disbursements of the fund shall be made by warrant of the department of finance and administration pursuant to vouchers signed by a designated representative of the New Mexico veterans' service commission. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year shall not revert to any other fund but shall remain to the credit of the fund."

Section 3. APPROPRIATION.--Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the state veterans' cemetery fund for expenditure in fiscal year 2004 and subsequent fiscal years for the purpose of conducting a study of parcels of state land in Rio Rancho in Sandoval county and other available state lands to assess their suitability for a state veterans' cemetery. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund.