HOUSE BILL 223

48th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2008

INTRODUCED BY

Antonio "Moe" Maestas

FOR THE COURTS, CORRECTIONS AND JUSTICE COMMITTEE

AN ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO CONTINUE THE TASK FORCE ON EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS FOR PERSONS WITH CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS.

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

     Section 1. APPROPRIATION.--

          A. One hundred seventy thousand dollars ($170,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the workforce solutions department for expenditure in fiscal year 2009 to continue the work of the task force created in the 2007 legislative session by House Memorial 41 and Senate Joint Memorial 4 to review barriers to public employment for persons with criminal convictions and to:

                (1) review current clearance regulations for all state agencies and local public bodies and make recommendations;

                (2) develop and administer, in coordination with the New Mexico municipal league and the New Mexico association of counties, a survey to obtain information from local public bodies, community colleges and state-funded universities on how their hiring practices may impact persons with criminal convictions;

                (3) review admission and other requirements of local community colleges and state-funded universities to ensure that institutions of higher education are not prohibiting persons with criminal convictions from attending, taking classes and selecting career paths;

                (4) investigate and develop a proposal for a New Mexico civic justice conservation corps and community custody program that would provide full-time paid opportunities for people transitioning out of prison;

                (5) study the effectiveness of establishing an independent office of advocacy that would be administratively attached to the workforce solutions department and the effectiveness of establishing a commission to oversee this office; and

                (6) host a public sector job fair in collaboration with the state personnel office, the corrections department, the city of Albuquerque and Bernalillo county to assist persons with criminal convictions in obtaining employment and pursuing career paths.

          B. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2009 shall revert to the general fund.

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