House Bill text for HB0237

HOUSE BILL 237

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2010

INTRODUCED BY

Luciano "Lucky" Varela

AN ACT

RELATING TO GOVERNMENT RESTRUCTURING; CREATING THE GOVERNMENT RESTRUCTURING TASK FORCE; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

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

Section 1. TEMPORARY PROVISION--GOVERNMENT RESTRUCTURING TASK FORCE CREATED.--The "government restructuring task force" is created. The task force shall function from the date of its appointment until December 31, 2010.

Section 2. TEMPORARY PROVISION--MEMBERSHIP--APPOINTMENT--VACANCIES.--

A. The government restructuring task force shall be composed of seventeen voting members. Five members of the house of representatives shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, and five members of the senate shall be appointed by the committees' committee of the senate or, if the appointments are made in the interim, by the president pro tempore of the senate after consultation with and agreement of a majority of the members of the committees' committee.

B. Members of the government restructuring task force shall be appointed from each house so as to give the two major political parties in each house the same proportional representation on the task force as prevails in each house. Vacancies on the task force shall be filled by appointment in the same manner as the original appointments. The chair and vice chair of the task force shall be elected by the task force.

C. Six public members with expertise in public and private sector organizational structure and operations shall be appointed to the task force, three of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and three of whom shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the senate. The public members shall reflect the ethnic, cultural and geographic diversity of the state.

D. The secretary of finance and administration shall be a member of the task force.

E. The task force shall meet at the call of the chair as necessary to carry out its duties, but no less than once and no more than twice a month. The first meeting shall be held no later than April 22, 2010.

F. Three absences from meetings of the task force shall constitute grounds for removal of a member of the task force. Upon the request of the chair of the task force, the appointing authority shall replace the member who has failed to attend three meetings of the task force.

G. A majority of the members constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business. The support of a majority of the members is required for adoption of any action by the task force; provided, however, that the final report of the task force, including its recommendations and proposed legislation, must have the support of a majority of the legislative members. Section 3. TEMPORARY PROVISION--DUTIES.--

A. After its appointment, the government restructuring task force shall hold one organizational meeting to develop a work plan and budget for the ensuing interim.

B. The government restructuring task force shall study the current resources of the state's agencies, programs, services, funding and policies and the public needs served by them, including the:

(1) recommendations of the governor's committee on government efficiency;

(2) need for consolidation of agencies and elimination or reduction of redundant, duplicative or overlapping programs or services;

(3) current and projected staffing needs of state agencies for full-time, part-time, term, temporary and contract employment; and

(4) current and projected revenue estimates for the next three to five fiscal years.

C. The government restructuring task force shall solicit public input.

D. The government restructuring task force shall study the recommendations, initiatives and statutory changes that occurred between 1975 and 1978 in reorganizing state government.

E. The government restructuring task force shall examine the statutes, constitutional provisions, rules and court decisions governing state government and reorganization and recommend legislation or changes.

F. The department of finance and administration and the various agencies of the state shall cooperate with the task force and provide the task force with information regarding budget, staffing, organizational structure and other information as requested by the task force.

Section 4. TEMPORARY PROVISION--SUBCOMMITTEES.--Subcommittees shall be created only by majority vote of all members appointed to the government restructuring task force. A subcommittee shall be composed of at least one member from the senate and one member from the house of representatives, and at least one member of the minority party shall be a member of the subcommittee. All meetings and expenditures of a subcommittee shall be approved by the full task force in advance of such meeting or expenditure, and the approval shall be shown in the minutes of the task force.

Section 5. TEMPORARY PROVISION--REPORT.--The government restructuring task force shall make a report of its findings and recommendations for consideration of the governor and the legislature, including presentations to the New Mexico legislative council, the legislative finance committee and the legislative education study committee by December 1, 2010. A final report and proposed legislation shall be made available to the governor and all legislators by December 31, 2010.

Section 6. TEMPORARY PROVISION--STAFF.--The staff for the government restructuring task force shall be provided by the legislative council service, the legislative finance committee, the legislative education study committee and the department of finance and administration.

Section 7. APPROPRIATION.--One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative council service for expenditure in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 to pay for operational expenses of the government restructuring task force and for reimbursing the per diem and mileage expenses of the task force members. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2011 shall revert to the general fund. Payments from the appropriation shall be made upon vouchers signed by the director of the legislative council service or the director's authorized representative.

Section 8. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.

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