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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Papen
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
1/17/08
HB
SHORT TITLE “Colonias Day"
SJM
7
ANALYST COX
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Public Education Department (PED) prior fiscal year – see 2007 SJM 0039
SUMMMARY
Synopsis Of Bill
Senate Joint Memorial 7 recognizes February 4, 2008 as “Colonias Day" and requests the
Governor and his cabinet to assist local efforts to improve the quality of life in New Mexico by
adding rural communities and Colonias to the state’s priority action list of programs and water
projects for legislative funding.
Senate Joint Memorial 7 states that the Board of Directors of the New Mexico Association of
Counties comprises the elected officials who are responsible for the health, welfare and safety of
the residents of New Mexico’s thirty three counties, and these board members are asked to
represent and address the needs of these residents.
SJM 7 reports that rural and Colonias communities are sorely lacking in infrastructure,
accessibility, opportunities and sanitation services. By working together the state and individual
communities could lift these communities up and provide better futures for the children in the
communities who will in turn raise their own families on family properties. Residents of rural
and Colonias communities face harsh challenges on a daily basis and are reluctant to as for help.
Initiating a statewide improvement program for rural and Colonias communities where the state
partners with the counties to empower these small communities could dramatically improve the
quality of life in them.
The Legislature of the State of New Mexico requests that February 4, 2008 be recognized as
“Colonias Day" in the Legislature. SJM 7 also requests that Governor Richardson and his cabinet
work with the Board of Directors of the New Mexico Association of Counties to assist local
efforts to improve the quality of life in the state and to add improvements for rural communities
and Colonias to the state’s priority action list of programs for legislative funding PED notes that
many of New Mexico’s rural communities need to implement innovative and sustained economic
development, retain a highly trained work force and have better access to state agencies. This