SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 68

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

INTRODUCED BY

Stuart Ingle

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THAT A TASK FORCE BE CREATED TO ENSURE THAT FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY RECEIVED BY NEW MEXICO IS EXPENDED RESPONSIBLY AND THAT NEW MEXICO RECEIVE AS GREAT A SHARE OF THE AVAILABLE STIMULUS MONEY AS POSSIBLE.

     WHEREAS, the federal stimulus package, officially known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, has been recently enacted; and

     WHEREAS, some federal grants and other distributions are already available for state expenditures; and

     WHEREAS, the federal government has made it clear that it will award the funding to states that can invest in and complete projects quickly; and

     WHEREAS, federal tax dollars invested back into programs and jobs in this state can improve the daily lives of all New Mexicans; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico needs a structure to ensure that the federal stimulus plan in this state is administered in a way that is appropriate, fair, efficient and transparent;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that a task force be created to ensure that the federal stimulus money received by New Mexico is expended responsibly and that New Mexico receive as great a share of the available stimulus money as possible; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be composed of thirteen voting members as follows: five members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, no more than three of whom shall be members of the majority party; five members of the senate, appointed by the president pro tempore of the senate after consultation with and agreement of a majority of the members of the senate committees' committee, no more than three of whom shall be members of the majority party; and three members appointed by the governor; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force also be composed of the following six nonvoting members: the lieutenant governor, who shall be the chair of the task force, and a representative of each of New Mexico's congressmen and United States senators; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be staffed by the staff of the legislative council service and the legislative finance committee; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force study and monitor the mechanisms for distributing stimulus money as it becomes available, the mechanisms for prioritizing prospective uses for the money, the procedures for ensuring the appropriateness and effectiveness of the expenditures and the strategies that will ensure that New Mexico receives as much money as possible from the available stimulus funding; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force report its findings and recommendations on a regular basis to the executive branch and to the legislative finance committee; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force prepare and submit summary reports, the first by December 15, 2009 and the second by December 15, 2010, to the legislature and to the governor; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president pro tempore of the senate, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the New Mexico legislative council, the legislative finance committee, the department of finance and administration and each of New Mexico's congressmen and United States senators.

- 3 -