0001| HOUSE BILL 966 | 0002| 43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997 | 0003| INTRODUCED BY | 0004| SHERYL M. WILLIAMS | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| AN ACT | 0011| RELATING TO AFRICAN AMERICANS; CREATING THE COMMISSION ON | 0012| AFRICAN AMERICAN AFFAIRS; CREATING AN OFFICE; PRESCRIBING | 0013| POWERS AND DUTIES; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION. | 0014| | 0015| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0016| Section 1. [NEW MATERIAL] SHORT TITLE.--This act may | 0017| be cited as the "African American Affairs Act". | 0018| Section 2. [NEW MATERIAL] DEFINITIONS.--As used in the | 0019| African American Affairs Act: | 0020| A. "commission" means the commission on African | 0021| American affairs; | 0022| B. "fund" means the office on African American | 0023| affairs fund; and | 0024| C. "office" means the office on African American | 0025| affairs. | 0001| Section 3. [NEW MATERIAL] COMMISSION--CREATED-- | 0002| MEMBERSHIP--TERMS--COMPENSATION.-- | 0003| A. The "commission on African American affairs" is | 0004| created. The commission shall consist of nine members | 0005| appointed by the governor to represent all fields of interest | 0006| to African Americans. Members shall be appointed for staggered | 0007| terms. Of the initial board, the terms of three members expire | 0008| June 30, 1998, the terms of three members expire June 30, 1999 | 0009| and the terms of three members expire June 30, 2000; | 0010| thereafter, appointments shall be for terms of three years or | 0011| less made in such manner that the terms of five members expire | 0012| on June 30 of each year. Members shall be appointed so as to | 0013| represent all areas of the state. No more than five members | 0014| shall belong to any one political party. | 0015| B. A majority of the commission's members | 0016| constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business. The | 0017| governor shall designate a chairman and vice chairman from | 0018| among the membership. The commission may elect other officers | 0019| as it deems necessary. | 0020| C. Members of the commission may be reimbursed as | 0021| nonsalaried public officials as provided in the Per Diem and | 0022| Mileage Act and shall receive no other compensation, perquisite | 0023| or allowance. | 0024| Section 4. [NEW MATERIAL] COMMISSION--POWERS AND | 0025| DUTIES.-- | 0001| A. The commission shall: | 0002| (1) study issues important to African | 0003| Americans, including history and culture; education, | 0004| scholarships and other financial assistance for education and | 0005| career development; economic and social problems and issues | 0006| such as jobs, housing, discrimination, family support, youth | 0007| idleness and crime; and health care, maternal and child health, | 0008| teen pregnancy, access and other health issues; | 0009| (2) secure recognition of African Americans' | 0010| accomplishments and contributions to New Mexico and the United | 0011| States; | 0012| (3) cooperate with and assist public and | 0013| private entities dealing with issues important to African | 0014| Americans; | 0015| (4) direct the operations of the office; and | 0016| (5) otherwise act as an advocate for African | 0017| American citizens of New Mexico. | 0018| B. The commission may: | 0019| (1) conduct periodic conferences throughout | 0020| the state to inform African Americans of the opportunities | 0021| available to them through state and private sources, to | 0022| encourage them to share their history and culture with other | 0023| New Mexicans and participate in the social and political | 0024| processes of their communities and to learn from conference | 0025| participants their needs and problems; and | 0001| (2) perform such other actions as necessary to | 0002| carry out its powers and duties pursuant to the African | 0003| American Affairs Act. | 0004| Section 5. [NEW MATERIAL] OFFICE--CREATED--POWERS AND | 0005| DUTIES.-- | 0006| A. The "office on African American affairs" is | 0007| created. The office shall carry out the directions of the | 0008| commission. | 0009| B. The commission shall appoint the director, who | 0010| shall work at the pleasure of the commission. The director, | 0011| with the advice of the commission, shall employ other necessary | 0012| employees who shall be subject to the provisions of the | 0013| Personnel Act. | 0014| C. The office shall: | 0015| (1) act as a clearinghouse for information | 0016| important to the African American community; | 0017| (2) function as the coordinating office for | 0018| all services and activities of state agencies and programs | 0019| pertaining to African Americans; | 0020| (3) encourage funding and implementation of | 0021| training programs and other opportunities for African | 0022| Americans; | 0023| (4) promote and develop programs about | 0024| community resources designed to meet the needs of African | 0025| Americans; | 0001| (5) serve as staff for the commission; | 0002| (6) prepare and submit a budget for the office | 0003| and commission and the Martin Luther King, Jr. commission; and | 0004| (7) publish an annual report on the activities | 0005| and services of the office and commission. | 0006| D. The office may: | 0007| (1) adopt and promulgate rules and regulations | 0008| in accordance with the State Rules Act to carry out the duties | 0009| of the office and the commission; | 0010| (2) accept gifts, grants, donations, bequests | 0011| and devises from any source to be used to carry out its duties; | 0012| and | 0013| (3) enter into contracts. | 0014| Section 6. [NEW MATERIAL] FUND--CREATED-- | 0015| ADMINISTRATION.--The "office on African American affairs fund" | 0016| is created in the state treasury. The fund shall consist of | 0017| appropriations, gifts, grants, donations and bequests. Money | 0018| in the fund at the end of any fiscal year shall not revert. | 0019| The fund shall be administered by the office, and disbursements | 0020| from the fund shall be made on warrant drawn by the secretary | 0021| of finance and administration pursuant to vouchers signed by | 0022| the director of the office or his authorized representative. | 0023| Expenditures of general fund and other state fund | 0024| appropriations shall be subject to appropriation by the | 0025| legislature and pursuant to a budget approved by the state | 0001| budget division of the department of finance and | 0002| administration. | 0003| Section 7. APPROPRIATION.--Two hundred thousand dollars | 0004| ($200,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the office | 0005| on African American affairs fund for expenditure in fiscal year | 0006| 1998 to carry out the provisions of the African American | 0007| Affairs Act. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining | 0008| at the end of fiscal year 1998 shall revert to the general | 0009| fund. | 0010| Section 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the | 0011| provisions of this act is July 1, 1997. | 0012| State of New Mexico | 0013| House of Representatives | 0014| | 0015| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0016| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0017| | 0018| | 0019| February 27, 1997 | 0020| | 0021| | 0022| Mr. Speaker: | 0023| | 0024| Your CONSUMER AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, to | 0025| whom has been referred | 0001| | 0002| HOUSE BILL 966 | 0003| | 0004| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0005| recommendation that it DO PASS, amended as follows: | 0006| | 0007| 1. On page 5, line 2, strike "and the Martin Luther | 0008| King, Jr. commission". | 0009| | 0010| 2. On page 6, line 6, after "shall" insert "not"., | 0011| | 0012| and thence referred to the APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE | 0013| COMMITTEE. | 0014| | 0015| Respectfully submitted, | 0016| | 0017| | 0018| | 0019| | 0020| | 0021| Gary King, Chairman | 0022| | 0023| | 0024| Adopted Not Adopted | 0025| | 0001| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0002| | 0003| Date | 0004| | 0005| The roll call vote was 8 For 0 Against | 0006| Yes: 8 | 0007| Excused: Rios, Vaughn | 0008| Absent: None | 0009| | 0010| | 0011| 117579.1 | 0012| G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\H0966 |