HOUSE BILL 102

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2014

INTRODUCED BY

Yvette Herrell

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS; CREATING THE TRANSFER OF PUBLIC LANDS TASK FORCE.

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

     SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] TRANSFER OF PUBLIC LANDS TASK FORCE.--

          A. The "transfer of public lands task force" is created. The task force shall be composed of the following members:

                (1) four members of the legislature, one appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, one appointed by the minority floor leader of the house of representatives, one appointed by the president pro tempore of the senate and one appointed by the minority floor leader of the senate;

                (2) the commissioner of public lands or the commissioner's designee;

                (3) the secretary of Indian affairs or the secretary's designee; and

                (4) three members appointed by the governor.          B. The task force shall select a chair and vice chair from among its members at the first meeting.

          C. The legislative council service and the state land office shall provide staff for the task force.

          D. The task force shall hold its first meeting on or before July 1, 2014, shall meet regularly and shall report annually to the legislature with an update on the progress that the task force has made concerning facilitating the transfer of public lands to the state. Staff for the task force shall meet before the first meeting of the task force to prepare for that meeting.

          E. The task force shall report at least one time during the interim to the legislative finance committee and to any interim committee created by the New Mexico legislative council to consider Native American affairs, land grant issues, water and natural resources or economic and rural development. The task force shall promptly agree to any request for a report to any other interim legislative committee that desires an update on its work.

          F. The task force shall take testimony from representatives of a wide spectrum of groups, including environmental organizations, farmers, hunting and fishing organizations, ranchers and outdoor sporting organizations, before proposing any legislation.

          G. During the 2014 and 2015 interims, the task force shall study and determine whether to prepare proposed legislation to be introduced in the second session of the fifty-second legislature in 2016 regarding:

                (1) the transfer of federal lands to the state;

                (2) the transfer of state and federal lands to the Indian nations, tribes and pueblos of the state;

                (3) the transfer of state and federal lands to the state's land grants; and

                (4) possible land exchanges between the state and the federal government.

          H. When undertaking its study pursuant to Subsection G of this section, the task force shall consider:

                (1) opportunities for improved wildlife management;

                (2) opportunities for transferring title of culturally or spiritually significant lands to the Indian nations, tribes and pueblos of the state;

                (3) opportunities for transferring title of culturally or spiritually significant lands to the state's land grants;

                (4) opportunities to address problems concerning land access; and

                (5) opportunities for cost savings to the state or to the federal government.

          I. The secretary of Indian affairs shall consult with representatives of the Indian nations, tribes and pueblos to determine which, if any, federal lands should be excluded from the transfer from federal control and report their views to the task force.

          J. The task force may study any other issue related to public lands as determined by the task force.

     SECTION 2. [NEW MATERIAL] LAND GRANTS.--Nothing in this act shall be construed as to prejudice or adversely affect any rights, claims or privileges of New Mexico's historic land grants.

     SECTION 3. DELAYED REPEAL.--Sections 1 and 2 of this act are repealed effective July 1, 2017.

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