HOUSE MEMORIAL 79

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

INTRODUCED BY

Benjamin H. Rodefer

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING A REVIEW AND CLARIFICATION OF LIMITS ON AGENCY REPORTS TO LEGISLATORS PURSUANT TO SECTION 2-3-14.1 NMSA 1978 (BEING LAWS 1985, CHAPTER 19, SECTION 1).

     WHEREAS, Section 2-3-14.1 NMSA 1978 provides that state agencies shall not send reports that are in excess of five pages to legislators, unless the agencies are responding to a direct request; and

     WHEREAS, the current statute provides for the legislative council service to provide legislators with a compilation of longer reports; and

     WHEREAS, legislators, nonetheless, receive reams of paper, including paper from agencies, even when the information contained in the reams of paper has not been requested by the legislators; and

     WHEREAS, legislators do want to have pertinent information but do not want to be inundated with information; and

     WHEREAS, some agencies seem to be unclear about the limitations of the statute and their responsibilities to keep legislators informed;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to write and distribute a briefing to agencies that reviews limits on reports and on the legislative council service's program to distribute reports or executive summaries in print or electronic format on a regular basis to those legislators who request them; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that state agencies be encouraged to provide separate executive summaries for their reports and to make the full reports and executive summaries available on the internet in a format compatible with downloading to print; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, unless a report has been specifically directed to or requested by a legislative agency or committee, state agencies that desire to have reports distributed to legislators provide the legislative council service library with two print copies, as required by Section 2-3-14.1 NMSA 1978, and include the internet address of the posted report; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico legislative council.

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