0001| SENATE BILL 735 | 0002| 42ND LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, | 0003| 1996 | 0004| INTRODUCED BY | 0005| DON KIDD | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| | 0011| AN ACT | 0012| RELATING TO AGRICULTURE; ENACTING THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL CONTROL | 0013| ACT. | 0014| | 0015| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0016| Section 1. SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the | 0017| "Cotton Boll Weevil Control Act". | 0018| Section 2. NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.--The | 0019| Cotton Boll Weevil Control Act is to be administered by the New | 0020| Mexico department of agriculture, under the direction of the | 0021| board of regents of New Mexico state university. | 0022| Section 3. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Cotton Boll Weevil | 0023| Control Act: | 0024| A. "board" means the board of regents of New Mexico | 0025| state university; | 0001| B. "cotton boll weevil" means any life stage of the | 0002| cotton insect Anthonomus grandis Boheman; | 0003| C. "cotton boll weevil control committee" means the | 0004| persons, not less than three nor more than seven, elected by a | 0005| majority of the cotton producers in a designated cotton boll | 0006| weevil control district; | 0007| D. "cotton boll weevil control district" means a | 0008| designated area duly established under the Cotton Boll Weevil | 0009| Control Act wherein a program to suppress or eradicate the | 0010| cotton boll weevil is administered; | 0011| E. "cotton producer" means any person growing five | 0012| or more acres of cotton plants. For the purposes of the Cotton | 0013| Boll Weevil Control Act, only one person from any farm, sole | 0014| proprietorship, corporation, partnership or any other legal | 0015| business arrangement shall be eligible to vote to establish or | 0016| dissolve a cotton boll weevil control district; | 0017| F. "department" means the New Mexico department of | 0018| agriculture; and | 0019| G. "director" means the director of the New Mexico | 0020| department of agriculture. | 0021| Section 4. DUTIES AND POWERS.--The director shall | 0022| determine any critically infested or threatened agricultural | 0023| areas within New Mexico, hold public hearings within the | 0024| proposed cotton boll weevil control district determined to be | 0025| critically infested or at risk and provide technical support and | 0001| advice in the formulation of plans for the control or | 0002| eradication of such infestation. The cotton boll weevil control | 0003| district, the cotton boll weevil control committee, the | 0004| department and the director, officers and employees are not | 0005| liable for errors in judgment, mistakes or other acts or | 0006| omissions made under the Cotton Boll Weevil Control Act. | 0007| Section 5. COTTON BOLL WEEVIL CONTROL COMMITTEE--DUTIES | 0008| AND POWERS.-- | 0009| A. The local cotton boll weevil control committee | 0010| shall prescribe control measures for any cotton planted within a | 0011| control district. When prescribing control measures, the | 0012| committee shall make every effort to adhere to integrated pest | 0013| management practices and the management goals of individual | 0014| cotton producers consistent with the goal of complete | 0015| eradication of the cotton boll weevil. The committee shall | 0016| refer a noncomplying cotton producer to the district attorney in | 0017| the county of the cotton producer's residence. It shall be the | 0018| duty of the district attorney to sue and obtain judgment and | 0019| thereafter to enforce compliance with the control measures | 0020| prescribed by the local cotton boll weevil control committee. | 0021| B. The cotton boll weevil control committee may | 0022| adopt regulations to set the method for determining the yield | 0023| per acre of cotton lands under the control of the cotton | 0024| producer for purposes of calculating the assessment amount due. | 0025| Section 6. ESTABLISHMENT OF COTTON BOLL WEEVIL CONTROL | 0001| DISTRICT.--Any five or more persons producing cotton for which | 0002| it is proposed to establish a cotton boll weevil control | 0003| district may file a petition with the department asking that a | 0004| cotton boll weevil control district be established. The | 0005| petition shall set forth: | 0006| A. a concise statement of the reasons for the | 0007| establishment of a cotton boll weevil control district; | 0008| B. a request that a referendum be held among the | 0009| cotton producers on the question of the establishment of a | 0010| cotton boll weevil control district; | 0011| C. the name and address of the individual who is | 0012| authorized to represent the petitioners; | 0013| D. the maximum per unit assessment on the cotton | 0014| acreage or production for which the cotton boll weevil control | 0015| district is established; and | 0016| E. the method of levy and collection of an | 0017| assessment upon cotton producers for the support of the cotton | 0018| boll weevil control district. | 0019| Section 7. PETITION FILING FEE.--The director shall | 0020| prepare and deliver to the petitioners an original budget | 0021| estimate of the cost of the proposed hearings and referendum. | 0022| The petitioners, within thirty days after receipt of the cost | 0023| estimate, shall remit to the director the amount of the cost | 0024| estimate. | 0025| Section 8. HEARINGS.--Within sixty days after the petition | 0001| has been filed with the director and upon payment of the cost | 0002| estimate, the director shall cause notices to be given of the | 0003| proposed hearings in areas of the state where the cotton boll | 0004| weevil is of economic importance. The notices of hearing shall | 0005| be published at least fourteen days prior to the date of hearing | 0006| in a newspaper of general circulation in the proposed cotton | 0007| boll weevil control district. | 0008| Section 9. DETERMINATION BY DIRECTOR.--After the public | 0009| hearing, the director shall determine, based upon the facts | 0010| presented and other relevant data available, if there is a need | 0011| for the creation of a cotton boll weevil control district and if | 0012| the need is sufficient to justify the holding of a referendum | 0013| thereon. Subsequent petitions relating to the same locale may | 0014| not be filed or action taken thereon within one year from the | 0015| date the director has recorded a determination denying the need | 0016| for the creation of a cotton boll weevil control district. | 0017| Section 10. REFERENDUM--COTTON BOLL WEEVIL CONTROL | 0018| DISTRICTS--LOCAL COTTON BOLL WEEVIL CONTROL COMMITTEES.--After | 0019| public hearing, if the director decides there is justification | 0020| for creating a cotton boll weevil control district, the | 0021| department shall hold a referendum. When cotton producers who | 0022| represent sixty-six percent of the cotton acreage within the | 0023| area threatened with or infested by the cotton boll weevil vote | 0024| in favor of the establishment of a cotton boll weevil control | 0025| district, such a cotton boll weevil control district shall be | 0001| created. The cotton producers within a cotton boll weevil | 0002| control district shall promptly establish, and shall elect not | 0003| less than three nor more than seven members to a local cotton | 0004| boll weevil control committee. The committee members shall not | 0005| receive per diem or compensation for their services. Cotton | 0006| boll weevil control districts and local cotton boll weevil | 0007| control committees shall cease to exist six months after the | 0008| successful eradication of the agricultural cotton boll weevil, | 0009| as determined by the director, or at the end of five years from | 0010| the date of their creation, whichever is sooner. A petition to | 0011| continue the cotton boll weevil control district may be made to | 0012| the director six months prior to the scheduled date for | 0013| termination of the cotton boil weevil control district. After a | 0014| public hearing on the petition, the director may extend the | 0015| termination date of any cotton boll weevil control district for | 0016| a period not to exceed three years without a referendum. | 0017| Section 11. LOCAL COTTON BOLL WEEVIL CONTROL COMMITTEES--ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND POWERS.-- | 0018| A. In the performance of this function, local cotton | 0019| boll weevil control committees may: | 0020| (1) conduct programs to suppress or eradicate | 0021| designated cotton boll weevils within their local cotton boll | 0022| weevil control district; | 0023| (2) cooperate in the administration of the | 0024| Cotton Boll Weevil Control Act through the use of state or | 0025| federal personnel and facilities or both; | 0001| (3) enter into contracts or cooperative | 0002| agreements with other agencies, including federal agencies; | 0003| (4) publish information and conduct seminars on | 0004| the distribution and control of the cotton boll weevil; and | 0005| (5) levy and collect a special assessment, | 0006| based on cotton acreage or cotton yield per acre within the | 0007| cotton boll weevil control district. | 0008| B. Local cotton boll weevil control committees shall | 0009| provide a complete accounting of the funds collected through the | 0010| special assessment to all participating cotton producers in the | 0011| cotton boll weevil control district. | 0012| Section 12. AGRICULTURAL LAND ASSESSMENT--ENFORCED | 0013| COLLECTION.--Payment of the special assessment levied by a local | 0014| cotton boll weevil control committee against a cotton producer | 0015| shall be due and payable upon the cotton producer's receipt of | 0016| an assessment statement from the local cotton boll weevil | 0017| control committee. The committee's statement shall indicate: | 0018| A. the total number of acres treated within the | 0019| cotton boll weevil control district during the control program; | 0020| B. the total acres treated, if any, that are under | 0021| the control of the land user assessed; | 0022| C. the total amount of funds expended, or estimated | 0023| to be spent, in the cotton boll weevil control district for the | 0024| control program; | 0025| D. the total acres and yield per acre of lands under | 0001| the control of the land user assessed; and | 0002| E. the amount assessed against the land user. | 0003| Section 13. PETITION FOR ABOLISHMENT OF A COTTON BOLL | 0004| WEEVIL CONTROL DISTRICT.--Any five or more persons producing | 0005| cotton within a cotton boll weevil control district may file a | 0006| petition with the department asking that a cotton boll weevil | 0007| control district be abolished. The petition shall set forth: | 0008| A. the name and description of the cotton boll | 0009| weevil control district to be abolished; | 0010| B. a concise statement of the reasons for the | 0011| abolishment of the cotton boll weevil control district; | 0012| C. a request that a referendum be held among the | 0013| producers of the crop on the question of the abolishment of the | 0014| cotton boll weevil control district; and | 0015| D. the name and address of the individual who is | 0016| authorized to represent the petitioners. | 0017| Section 14. PETITION FILING FEE.--The director shall | 0018| prepare and deliver to the petitioners an original budget | 0019| estimate of the cost of the proposed hearings and referendum. | 0020| The petitioners, within thirty days after receipt of the cost | 0021| estimate, shall remit to the director the amount of the cost | 0022| estimate. | 0023| Section 15. HEARINGS REGARDING ABOLISHMENT OF A COTTON | 0024| BOLL WEEVIL CONTROL DISTRICT--NOTICE OF HEARINGS.--Within thirty | 0025| days after the petition has been filed with the director and | 0001| upon payment of the cost estimate, the director shall cause | 0002| notices to be given of the hearing in the affected cotton boll | 0003| weevil control district. The notice of hearing shall be | 0004| published at least fourteen days prior to the date of hearing in | 0005| a newspaper of general circulation in the affected cotton boll | 0006| weevil control district. After public hearing, if the director | 0007| decides there is justification for abolishing a cotton boll | 0008| weevil control district, the department shall hold a referendum. | 0009| When cotton producers who represent sixty-six percent of the | 0010| cotton acreage within a cotton boll weevil control district vote | 0011| in favor of the abolishment of the cotton boll weevil control | 0012| district, such a cotton boll weevil control district shall be | 0013| abolished. The local cotton boll weevil control committee shall | 0014| promptly move to cease expenditures of cotton boll weevil | 0015| control district funds and make an accounting of funds spent and | 0016| return remaining funds in accordance with Section 16 of the | 0017| Cotton Boll Weevil Control Act. | 0018| Section 16. DISPOSITION OF ASSESSMENT PROCEEDS.--Funds | 0019| collected by the local cotton boll weevil control committee are | 0020| not state funds and are not required to be deposited in the | 0021| state treasury. A local cotton boll weevil control committee | 0022| shall deposit all money collected in a state chartered bank or | 0023| other insured depository. Funds collected by one local cotton | 0024| boll weevil control committee shall be held separate from funds | 0025| collected by another local cotton boll weevil control committee. | 0001| Funds remaining at the termination of a cotton boll weevil | 0002| control district shall be distributed to cotton producers in | 0003| proportion to the percentage they contributed during the life of | 0004| the cotton boll weevil control district. | 0005|  | 0006| | 0007| FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE | 0008| SECOND SESSION, 1996 | 0009| | 0010| | 0011| FEBRUARY 2, 1996 | 0012| | 0013| Mr. President: | 0014| | 0015| Your COMMITTEES' COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred | 0016| | 0017| SENATE BILL 735 | 0018| | 0019| has had it under consideration and finds same to be GERMANE, PURSUANT | 0020| TO SENATE EXECUTIVE MESSAGE TWENTY THREE, and thence referred to the | 0021| CONSERVATION COMMITTEE. | 0022| | 0023| Respectfully submitted, | 0024| | 0025| | 0001| | 0002| | 0003| __________________________________ | 0004| SENATOR MANNY M. ARAGON, Chairman | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| Adopted_______________________ Not Adopted_______________________ | 0009| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0010| | 0011| | 0012| Date ________________________ | 0013| | 0014| | 0015| | 0016| S0735CC1 | 0017| | 0018| FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE | 0019| SECOND SESSION, 1996 | 0020| | 0021| | 0022| February 8, 1996 | 0023| | 0024| Mr. President: | 0025| | 0001| Your CONSERVATION COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred | 0002| | 0003| SENATE BILL 735 | 0004| | 0005| has had it under consideration and reports same with recommendation that | 0006| it DO PASS, and thence referred to the JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. | 0007| | 0008| Respectfully submitted, | 0009| | 0010| | 0011| | 0012| __________________________________ | 0013| TOM R. BENAVIDES, Chairman | 0014| | 0015| | 0016| | 0017| Adopted_______________________ Not Adopted_______________________ | 0018| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0019| | 0020| | 0021| Date ________________________ | 0022| | 0023| | 0024| The roll call vote was 5 For 2 Against | 0025| Yes: 5 | 0001| No: 2 | 0002| Excused: Vernon, Wray | 0003| Absent: 0 | 0004| | 0005| | 0006| S0735CO1 | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE | 0011| SECOND SESSION, 1996 | 0012| | 0013| | 0014| February 8, 1996 | 0015| | 0016| Mr. President: | 0017| | 0018| Your CONSERVATION COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred | 0019| | 0020| SENATE BILL 735 | 0021| | 0022| has had it under consideration and reports same with recommendation that | 0023| it DO PASS, and thence referred to the JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. | 0024| | 0025| Respectfully submitted, | 0001| | 0002| | 0003| | 0004| __________________________________ | 0005| TOM R. BENAVIDES, Chairman | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| Adopted_______________________ Not Adopted_______________________ | 0010| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0011| | 0012| | 0013| Date ________________________ | 0014| | 0015| | 0016| The roll call vote was 5 For 2 Against | 0017| Yes: 5 | 0018| No: 2 | 0019| Excused: Vernon, Wray | 0020| Absent: 0 | 0021| | 0022| | 0023| S0735CO1 | 0024| | 0025| | 0001| | 0002| FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE SB 735/a | 0003| SECOND SESSION, 1996 | 0004| | 0005| | 0006| February 11, 1996 | 0007| | 0008| Mr. President: | 0009| | 0010| Your JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred | 0011| | 0012| SENATE BILL 735 | 0013| | 0014| has had it under consideration and reports same with recommendation that | 0015| it DO PASS, amended as follows: | 0016| | 0017| 1. On page 3, line 1, after "infestation." strike the remainder of | 0018| the line and strike lines 2 through 5 in their entirety. | 0019| | 0020| 2. On page 3, line 14, after "weevil." strike the remainder of the | 0021| line and strike lines 15 through 19 in their entirety. | 0022| | 0023| | 0024| | 0025| Respectfully submitted, | 0001| | 0002| | 0003| | 0004| __________________________________ | 0005| Janice D. Paster, Chairman | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| Adopted_______________________ Not Adopted_______________________ | 0010| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0011| | 0012| | 0013| Date ________________________ | 0014| | 0015| | 0016| The roll call vote was 5 For 0 Against | 0017| Yes: 5 | 0018| No: 0 | 0019| Excused: Cisneros, Sanchez, Scott, Vernon | 0020| Absent: None | 0021| | 0022| | 0023| S0735JU1 .112078.1 | 0024| State of New Mexico | 0025| House of Representatives | 0001| | 0002| FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE | 0003| SECOND SESSION, 1996 | 0004| | 0005| | 0006| February 14, 1996 | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| Mr. Speaker: | 0010| | 0011| Your AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES COMMITTEE, to | 0012| whom has been referred | 0013| | 0014| SENATE BILL 735, as amended | 0015| | 0016| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0017| recommendation that it DO PASS. | 0018| | 0019| Respectfully submitted, | 0020| | 0021| | 0022| | 0023| | 0024| G. X. McSherry, Chairman | 0025| | 0001| | 0002| Adopted Not Adopted | 0003| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0004| | 0005| Date | 0006| | 0007| The roll call vote was 9 For 0 Against | 0008| Yes: 9 | 0009| Excused: None | 0010| Absent: None | 0011| | 0012| | 0013| S0735AG1 |