0001| AN ACT | 0002| CREATING A JOINT INTERIM LEGISLATIVE PUBLIC REGULATION COMMITTEE; | 0003| MAKING AN APPROPRIATION; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. | 0004| | 0005| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0006| Section 1. PUBLIC REGULATION INTERIM COMMITTEE CREATED-- | 0007| TERMINATION.--There is created a joint interim legislative committee that shall be known as | 0008| the "public regulation interim committee". The committee shall function from the date of its | 0009| appointment until the first day of December prior to the second session of the forty-third | 0010| legislature. | 0011| Section 2. MEMBERSHIP--APPOINTMENT--VACANCIES.-- | 0012| A. The public regulation interim committee shall be composed of twelve | 0013| members. The New Mexico legislative council shall appoint six members from the house of | 0014| representatives and six members from the senate. At the time of making the appointment, the | 0015| legislative council shall designate the chairman and vice chairman of the committee. | 0016| B. Members shall be appointed from each house so as to give the two major | 0017| political parties in each house the same proportionate representation on the committee as prevails | 0018| in each house; however, in no event shall either party have less than one member from each | 0019| house on the committee. At the request of the committee chairman, members may be removed | 0020| from the committee by the New Mexico legislative council for nonattendance according to | 0021| council policy. Vacancies on the committee, however caused, may be filled by the legislative | 0022| council, or the council may reduce the size of the committee by not making replacement | 0023| appointments and in such case need not readjust party representation. | 0024| C. The legislative council may appoint up to three public members representing | 0025| consumer interests and three public members representing industries regulated by the New | 0001| Mexico public utility commission and the state corporation commission to serve as advisory | 0002| members to the committee. The advisory public members shall be appointed so as to reflect the | 0003| state's ethnic and geographic diversity. The advisory members shall be paid per diem and | 0004| mileage as nonsalaried public officials pursuant to the Per Diem and Mileage Act. | 0005| D. No action shall be taken by the committee if a majority of the total | 0006| membership from either house on the committee rejects such action. | 0007| Section 3. DUTIES.--After its appointment, the public regulation interim committee shall | 0008| hold one organizational meeting to develop a work plan and budget for the ensuing interim. The | 0009| work plan and budget shall be submitted to the New Mexico legislative council for approval. | 0010| Upon approval of the work plan and budget by the legislative council, the committee shall | 0011| examine the statutes, constitutional provisions, regulations and court decisions governing the | 0012| state corporation commission and the New Mexico public utility commission in New Mexico and | 0013| recommend legislation or changes necessary to create a unified public regulation commission, as | 0014| provided by Article 11, Sections 1 and 2 of the constitution of New Mexico, to the second | 0015| session of the forty-third legislature. | 0016| Section 4. SUBCOMMITTEES.--Subcommittees shall be created only by majority vote | 0017| of all members appointed to the public regulation interim committee and with the prior approval | 0018| of the New Mexico legislative council. A subcommittee shall be composed of at least one | 0019| member from the senate and one member from the house of representatives, and at least one | 0020| member of the minority party shall be a member of the subcommittee. All meetings and | 0021| expenditures of a subcommittee shall be approved by the full committee in advance of such | 0022| meeting or expenditure, and the approval shall be shown in the minutes of the committee. | 0023| Section 5. STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION AND NEW MEXICO PUBLIC | 0024| UTILITY COMMISSION COOPERATION AND ASSISTANCE.--The state corporation | 0025| commission and the New Mexico public utility commission shall assist and cooperate with the | 0001| public regulation interim committee and provide information and materials related to the | 0002| consolidation of the agencies as requested by the committee. | 0003| Section 6. REPORT.--The public regulation interim committee shall make a report of its | 0004| findings and recommendations for the consideration of the second session of the forty- | 0005| third legislature. The report and suggested legislation shall be made available to the New | 0006| Mexico legislative council on or before December 15 preceding that session. | 0007| Section 7. STAFF.--The staff for the public regulation interim committee shall be | 0008| provided by the legislative council service. | 0009| Section 8. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public peace, health and safety | 0010| that this act take effect immediately. |