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F I S C A L   I M P A C T   R E P O R T

SPONSOR:

Nuņez

 

DATE TYPED:

02/20/03

 

HB

683

 

SHORT TITLE:

Amend Watershed District Act

 

SB

 

 

 

ANALYST:

Valenzuela

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

 

 

NFI

 

 

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration

Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD)

Office of the State Engineer

Department of Agriculture (NMDA)

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

House Bill 683 amends the Watershed District Act by clarifying several provisions pertaining to the election process for such districts. The bill shifts the burden of proof regarding the validity of petition signatures to the sponsors of the petition. HB 683 allows the board to appointment new members, when there are two or more vacancies. The bill eliminates the requirement to be a landowner to vote in soil and water conservation district (SWCD) mill levy and member elections. The bill transfers the responsibility for certification of election results to the state Department of Agriculture, and allows board members of soil and water conservation districts to receive mileage and per diem for official meetings.

 

     Significant Issues

 

In 1997, the soil and water conservation districts were transferred from the EMNRD Forestry Division to the Department of Agriculture (NMDA). The effect of the bill is to transfer the responsibilities for SWCD and election oversight to NMDA.

 

 

 

 

 

Watershed districts are generally small geographic areas, and are often created for a specific purpose, such as flood control, within a watershed.   Owners of land within a watershed district bear the expense and are the primary benefactors of a watershed district. 

 

MFV/sb