0001| HOUSE BILL 242 | 0002| 43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998 | 0003| INTRODUCED BY | 0004| GAIL C. BEAM | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| FOR THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE | 0009| | 0010| AN ACT | 0011| RELATING TO EDUCATION; PROVIDING INSURANCE COVERAGE TO | 0012| REGIONAL EDUCATION COOPERATIVES; REMOVING REGIONAL EDUCATION | 0013| COOPERATIVES' STATE AGENCY STATUS; AMENDING THE EDUCATIONAL | 0014| COOPERATIVE FUNDS. | 0015| | 0016| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0017| Section 1. Section 22-2-6.3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1986, | 0018| Chapter 94, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read: | 0019| "22-2-6.3. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Public School | 0020| Insurance Authority Act: | 0021| A. "authority" means the public school insurance | 0022| authority; | 0023| B. "board" means the board of directors of the | 0024| public school insurance authority; | 0025| C. "director" means the director of the public | - 1 - 0001| school insurance authority; | 0002| D. "educational entities" means state educational | 0003| institutions as enumerated in Article 12, Section 11 of the | 0004| constitution of New Mexico ~[and]~, other state diploma, | 0005| degree-granting and certificate-granting post-secondary | 0006| educational institutions |and regional educational | 0007| cooperatives|; | 0008| E. "fund" means the public school insurance fund; | 0009| F. "group health insurance" means coverage which | 0010| includes but is not limited to life insurance, accidental | 0011| death and dismemberment, medical care and treatment, dental | 0012| care, eye care and other coverages as determined by the | 0013| authority; | 0014| G. "risk-related coverage" means coverage which | 0015| includes but is not limited to property and casualty, general | 0016| liability, auto and fleet, ~[workmen's]~ |workers|' | 0017| compensation and other casualty insurance; and | 0018| H. "school district" means a school district as | 0019| defined in Subsection ~[J]~ |K| of Section 22-1-2 NMSA 1978, | 0020| excluding any school district with a student enrollment in | 0021| excess of sixty thousand students." | 0022| Section 2. Section 22-2B-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993, | 0023| Chapter 232, Section 1) is amended to read: | 0024| "22-2B-1. SHORT TITLE.--~[Sections 1 through 6 of this | 0025| act]~ |Chapter 22, Article 2B NMSA 1978| may be cited as the | - 2 - 0001| "Regional Cooperative Education Act"." | 0002| Section 3. Section 22-2B-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993, | 0003| Chapter 232, Section 2) is amended to read: | 0004| "22-2B-2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Regional | 0005| Cooperative Education Act: | 0006| A. "council" means a regional education | 0007| coordinating council; || | 0008| B. "cooperative" means a regional education | 0009| cooperative; and | 0010| C. "fund" means an educational cooperative fund." | 0011| Section 4. Section 22-2B-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993, | 0012| Chapter 232, Section 3) is amended to read: | 0013| "22-2B-3. REGIONAL EDUCATION COOPERATIVES AUTHORIZED.-- | 0014| A. The state board may authorize the existence and | 0015| operation of "regional education cooperatives". Upon | 0016| authorization by the state board, local school boards may join | 0017| with other local school boards or other state-supported | 0018| educational institutions to form cooperatives for the purpose | 0019| of providing education-related services to qualified school- | 0020| age residents of participating educational entities. | 0021| ~[Regional education cooperatives shall be deemed individual | 0022| state agencies administratively attached to the department of | 0023| education.]~ || | 0024| |B. Cooperatives shall assist local school boards | 0025| in carrying out their responsibilities as authorized by the | - 3 - 0001| state board and approved by the council.| | 0002| ~[B.]~ |C.| The state board shall, by regulation, | 0003| establish minimum criteria for the establishment and operation | 0004| of cooperatives. The state board shall also establish | 0005| procedures for oversight of cooperatives to ensure compliance | 0006| with state board regulation. Regional education cooperatives | 0007| shall be exempt from the provisions of the Personnel Act." | 0008| Section 5. Section 22-2B-6 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993, | 0009| Chapter 232, Section 6) is amended to read: | 0010| "22-2B-6. EDUCATIONAL COOPERATIVE FUNDS CREATED.-- | 0011| "Educational cooperative funds" are established in the state | 0012| treasury. The state treasurer shall establish individual | 0013| educational cooperative funds for each cooperative authorized | 0014| by the state board. Money in each fund is appropriated to the | 0015| ~[individual council]~ |department of education| for the | 0016| purpose of carrying out the provisions of the Regional | 0017| Cooperative Education Act. Money in each fund may be | 0018| distributed on warrants issued by the department of finance | 0019| and administration pursuant to vouchers signed by the | 0020| ~[director of the cooperative]~ |state superintendent| or his | 0021| designee. Any unencumbered or unexpended balance remaining in | 0022| the funds at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to | 0023| the general fund." | 0024|  |