HOUSE BILL 793

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2009

INTRODUCED BY

Ben Lujan

AN ACT

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE; CREATING THE NOXIOUS WEED MANAGEMENT FUND; PROVIDING FOR FUNDING NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL PROGRAMS; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS.

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

     Section 1. A new section of the Noxious Weed Management Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] NOXIOUS WEED MANAGEMENT FUND--PURPOSE--APPROPRIATIONS.--The "noxious weed management fund" is created in the New Mexico department of agriculture. The fund shall consist of gifts, donations, grants and money appropriated by the legislature for the purpose of funding noxious weed management projects. All interest derived from investment of money in the fund shall be credited to the fund. The department shall administer the fund, and money in the fund shall be disbursed on warrants signed by the secretary of finance and administration pursuant to vouchers signed by the director. The director may declare a noxious weed emergency if a new and potentially harmful noxious weed is discovered growing in the state and its presence is verified by the department. The director is authorized to allocate up to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) of the principal in the noxious weed management fund for emergency response to manage or confine the new noxious weed species. Otherwise, money in the fund is appropriated to the department to:

          A. make grants or contracts to noxious weed control districts, cooperative weed management areas or other entities appropriate for noxious weed management projects to eradicate or contain noxious weeds;

          B. conduct noxious weed management research, evaluation and education; and

          C. develop, implement or demonstrate innovative noxious weed management methods."

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