SENATE BILL 26

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Sander Rue

AN ACT

RELATING TO THE LEGISLATURE; REQUIRING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SERVICE TO ARCHIVE THE WEBCASTS AND RECORDINGS OF LEGISLATIVE FLOOR SESSIONS AND MEETINGS; REQUIRING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SERVICE TO MAKE THE ARCHIVES AVAILABLE ON THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATURE WEBSITE.

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

     SECTION 1. Section 2-3-8 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1951, Chapter 182, Section 4, as amended) is amended to read:

     "2-3-8. PURPOSE AND DUTIES OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SERVICE.--The purpose and duties of the legislative council service [shall be] are:

          [a.] A. to assist the New Mexico legislature [of the State of New Mexico] in the proper performance of its constitutional functions by providing its members with impartial and accurate information and reports concerning the legislative problems [which] that come before them; by providing digests showing the practices of other states and foreign nations in dealing with similar problems;

          [b.] B. when so requested, to secure information for and to report to the [legislators of this state] members of the legislature on the social and economic effects of statutes of this state or elsewhere by cooperating with the legislative service agencies in other states and other reference agencies and libraries;

          [c.] C. to furnish to the members of the legislature [of this state] the assistance of expert [draftsmen] drafters qualified to aid the legislators in the preparation of bills for introduction into the legislature;

          [d.] D. to recommend to the legislature measures [which] that will improve the form and working of the statutes of this state and clarify and reconcile their provisions;

          [e.] E. to provide for the legislature adequate staff facilities and to provide the adequate expert assistance without which no legislature can properly perform its required functions;

          [f.] F. to prepare and index for printing as promptly as possible after the adjournment of each session a compilation of the session laws [therefor, which compilation shall include] that includes all resolutions and acts [which] that the legislature [has] adopted or passed during the session and [have] that received the [approval of the governor when such] governor's approval [is] when necessary for enactment; and

          G. to archive for five years audio and visual recordings of the entirety of all legislative floor sessions and meetings that are webcast or recorded by the legislature and, as soon as practicable after the adjournment of the session or meeting, to make publicly available and easily accessible on the New Mexico legislature website the archived recordings, formatted for easy access."

     SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is January 1, 2018.

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