RELATING TO HEALTH; CREATING AN INTERIM LONG-TERM CARE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.

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

Section 1. LONG-TERM CARE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CREATED--TERMINATION.--The joint interim legislative "long-term care oversight committee" is created. The committee shall function from the date of its appointment until December 1 prior to the second session of the forty-fifth legislature.

Section 2. MEMBERSHIP--APPOINTMENT--VACANCIES.--

A. The long-term care oversight committee shall be composed of six members. The New Mexico legislative council shall appoint three members from the house of representatives and three members from the senate. At the time of making the appointment, the legislative council shall designate the chairman and vice chairman of the committee.

B. Members shall be appointed from each house so as to give the two major political parties in each house the same proportionate representation on the committee as prevails in each house; however, in no event shall either party have less than one member from each house on the long-term care oversight committee. At the request of the committee chairman, members may be removed from the committee by the New Mexico legislative council for nonattendance according to council policy. Vacancies on the committee, however caused, may be filled by the New Mexico legislative council, or the council may reduce the size of the committee by not making replacement appointments and in that case need not readjust party representation.

C. An action shall not be taken by the committee if a majority of the total membership from either house on the committee rejects that action.

Section 3. DUTIES.--

A. After its appointment, the long-term care oversight committee shall hold one organizational meeting to develop a work plan and budget for the ensuing interim. The work plan and budget shall be submitted to the New Mexico legislative council for approval. Upon approval of the work plan and budget by the New Mexico legislative council, the committee shall:

(1) examine how to fully implement the Long-term Care Services Act;

(2) review plans to reorganize government agencies, if necessary, and to consolidate budgets, programs and funding sources to implement the Long-term Care Services Act; and

(3) make recommendations to the legislature relating to the adoption of additional rules and legislation, if any are found to be necessary.

B. The committee shall regularly receive testimony from the interagency committee on long-term care on issues arising from the implementation of the Long-term Care Services Act and proposed plans developed pursuant to Paragraph (2) of Subsection A of this section.

Section 4. SUBCOMMITTEES.--Subcommittees shall be created only by majority vote of all members appointed to the long-term care oversight committee and with the prior approval of the New Mexico legislative council. A subcommittee shall be composed of at least one member from the senate and one member from the house of representatives, and at least one member of the minority party shall be a member of the subcommittee. Any meeting or expenditure of a subcommittee shall be approved by the full committee in advance of that meeting or expenditure, and the approval shall be shown in the minutes of the committee.

Section 5. REPORTS.--The long-term care oversight committee shall make reports of its findings and recommendations for the consideration of the second session of the forty-fifth legislature. The reports and suggested legislation shall be made available to the New Mexico legislative council on or before December 15 preceding the session.

Section 6. STAFF.--The staff for the long-term care oversight committee shall be provided primarily by the legislative council service, but the legislative council service may request the assistance of the legislative finance committee staff at the direction of the long-term care oversight committee.

HB 746

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