SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL 1224

48th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2007

AN ACT

RELATING TO THE PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE; PROVIDING FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AWARENESS, OPERATIONS AND TRAINING IN THE COMMUNITY OF MESQUITE; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

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

     Section 1. APPROPRIATION.--

          A. Seventy thousand dollars ($70,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the department of public safety for expenditure in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 to provide hazardous materials awareness and hazardous materials operation training to first responders in the community of Mesquite and to provide for the scheduling and availability of on-call responders for potential hazardous materials incidents in the community of Mesquite in Dona Ana county. The trained first responders shall provide training at the Mesquite elementary school to faculty, staff and students, as appropriate, in:

                (1) awareness and identification of hazardous materials risks;  

                (2) inspection and monitoring of hazardous materials in the air, soil or water;

                (3) development and continued updating of an evacuation plan; and

                (4) preliminary emergency actions to secure the safety of the school and community populations in the event of a hazardous materials incident.

          B. The first responders of Mesquite shall report annually to the state emergency response commission on the adequacy of the funding and training.

          C. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2008 shall revert to the general fund.

     Section 2. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.

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