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

SPONSOR Rawson

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/22/08

1/24/08

HB

SHORT TITLE Cabinet Secretary Confirmations

SJR 1/aSRC

ANALYST Baca

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Senate Rules Committee Amendment

The SRC amendment deletes the “a" in front of governor and inserts the term “each".

Synopsis of Original Bill

Senate Joint Resolution 1 proposes amending the New Mexico State Constitution to require that

heads of all cabinet-level departments or agencies whose appointment is subject to confirmation

by the senate shall be subject to confirmation or reconfirmation by the senate at the beginning of

a term of a governor. This proposed amendment must to be submitted to the people for their

approval or rejection at the next general election or at any special election prior to that date that

may be called for that purpose.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

Presumably, costs associated with this change can be absorbed within existing budgets of both

the Legislature and the executive.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Time needed to conduct the hearings along with time required by cabinet secretaries for the

hearings may emerge as issues to be considered. Cabinet secretaries may suggest that time

preparing for confirmation proceedings takes away opportunities to carry out their statutory

duties.

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