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

RELATING TO NATURAL RESOURCES; CREATING THE NATURAL RESOURCE REVENUE RECOVERY TASK FORCE; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

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

Section 1. FINDINGS.--The legislature finds that:

A. many federal laws enacted to assist rural economies have had unintended negative consequences;

B. many New Mexico citizens rely on small family farms and ranches for their livelihood, and agriculture and extractive resource industries play a major role in the state's economy as a whole;

C. many New Mexico consumers rely on locally produced food for their families; and

D. unintended consequences of law have created economic hardship throughout rural New Mexico and have harmed the state's economy.

Section 2. NATURAL RESOURCE REVENUE RECOVERY TASK FORCE--CREATED--MEMBERS--DUTIES.--

A. There is created in the state land office an advisory task force that shall be known as the "natural resource revenue recovery task force".

B. The task force shall be composed of nine members. The speaker of the house of representatives and the president pro tempore of the senate shall each appoint two members who represent affected counties and are knowledgeable about agricultural and rural issues. The governor shall appoint three members and the commissioner of public lands shall appoint two members who:

(1) are county commissioners from affected counties;

(2) represent the different geographic regions of the state, including north, south, east and west;

(3) are knowledgeable about agricultural, forest, mining or other extractive industries and water issues; or

(4) are nominated by rural counties in the New Mexico association of counties.

C. The task force shall:

(1) review and analyze the historical and current differences between the prices received by agricultural producers and the prices paid by consumers;

(2) gather and compile information on the impact of the federal laws that affect agriculture and extraction industries, specifically the Agriculture Adjustment Act and the National Industrial Recovery Act as originally enacted;

(3) evaluate the United States congress's original objectives to stabilize commodity prices and rural income, manage public lands for multiple use, preserve grazing and water rights and foster timber harvests compared to the laws' outcomes;

(4) assess the relationship of these laws with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Kearny's Code and the preservation of New Mexico's private property rights contained in the United States constitution;

(5) define the economic impact of the Agriculture Adjustment Act and the National Industrial Recovery Act upon agricultural producers, natural resource industries and related businesses and the impact on county and state revenues;

(6) develop state policies to counteract the negative effect of federal law; and

(7) report its findings and recommendations annually by December 1 to the New Mexico legislative council and the governor.

D. The chair of the task force shall be elected by the task force, and the task force shall meet at the call of the chair.

E. The public members of the task force shall receive per diem and mileage pursuant to the Per Diem and Mileage Act.

F. The staff for the task force shall be provided by the state land office.

Section 3. TERMINATION OF TASK FORCE--DELAYED REPEAL.-- The natural resource revenue recovery task force is terminated on July 1, 2007 pursuant to the Sunset Act. The task force shall continue to operate according to the provisions of this act until July 1, 2008. Effective July 1, 2008, this act is repealed.

Section 4. APPROPRIATION.--One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the state land office for expenditure in fiscal year 2004 to pay for the operations of the natural resource revenue recovery task force. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2004 shall revert to the general fund.