0001|                            HOUSE BILL 242
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                             GAIL C. BEAM
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|            FOR THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO EDUCATION; PROVIDING INSURANCE COVERAGE TO
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0012|     REGIONAL EDUCATION COOPERATIVES; REMOVING REGIONAL EDUCATION
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0013|     COOPERATIVES' STATE AGENCY STATUS; AMENDING THE EDUCATIONAL
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0014|     COOPERATIVE FUNDS.
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0015|     
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0016|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0017|          Section 1.  Section 22-2-6.3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1986,
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0018|     Chapter 94, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:
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0019|          "22-2-6.3.  DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Public School
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0020|     Insurance Authority Act:
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0021|               A.  "authority" means the public school insurance
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0022|     authority;
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0023|               B.  "board" means the board of directors of the
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0024|     public school insurance authority;
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0025|               C.  "director" means the director of the public
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0001|     school insurance authority;
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0002|               D.  "educational entities" means state educational
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0003|     institutions as enumerated in Article 12, Section 11 of the
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0004|     constitution of New Mexico <s>[and]</s>, other state diploma,
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0005|     degree-granting and certificate-granting post-secondary
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0006|     educational institutions <u>and regional educational
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<u></u>0007| <u>    cooperatives</u>;
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0008|               E.  "fund" means the public school insurance fund;
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0009|               F.  "group health insurance" means coverage which
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0010|     includes but is not limited to life insurance, accidental
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0011|     death and dismemberment, medical care and treatment, dental
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0012|     care, eye care and other coverages as determined by the
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0013|     authority;
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0014|               G.  "risk-related coverage" means coverage which
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0015|     includes but is not limited to property and casualty, general
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0016|     liability, auto and fleet, <s>[workmen's]</s> <u>workers</u>'
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0017|     compensation and other casualty insurance; and
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0018|               H.  "school district" means a school district as
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0019|     defined in Subsection <s>[J]</s> <u>K</u> of Section 22-1-2 NMSA 1978,
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0020|     excluding any school district with a student enrollment in
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0021|     excess of sixty thousand students."
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0022|          Section 2.  Section 22-2B-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993,
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0023|     Chapter 232, Section 1) is amended to read:
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0024|          "22-2B-1.  SHORT TITLE.--<s>[Sections 1 through 6 of this
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<s></s>0025| <s>    act]</s> <u>Chapter 22, Article 2B NMSA 1978</u> may be cited as the
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0001|     "Regional Cooperative Education Act"."
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0002|          Section 3.  Section 22-2B-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993,
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0003|     Chapter 232, Section 2) is amended to read:
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0004|          "22-2B-2.  DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Regional
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0005|     Cooperative Education Act:
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0006|               A.  "council" means a regional education
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0007|     coordinating council; <u></u>
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0008|               B.  "cooperative" means a regional education
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0009|     cooperative; and
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0010|               C.  "fund" means an educational cooperative fund."
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0011|          Section 4.  Section 22-2B-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993,
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0012|     Chapter 232, Section 3) is amended to read:
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0013|          "22-2B-3.  REGIONAL EDUCATION COOPERATIVES AUTHORIZED.--
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0014|               A.  The state board may authorize the existence and
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0015|     operation of "regional education cooperatives".  Upon
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0016|     authorization by the state board, local school boards may join
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0017|     with other local school boards or other state-supported
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0018|     educational institutions to form cooperatives for the purpose
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0019|     of providing education-related services to qualified school-
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0020|     age residents of participating educational entities. 
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0021|     <s>[Regional education cooperatives shall be deemed individual
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<s></s>0022| <s>    state agencies administratively attached to the department of
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<s></s>0023| <s>    education.]</s> <u></u>
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0024|               <u>B.  Cooperatives shall assist local school boards
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<u></u>0025| <u>    in carrying out their responsibilities as authorized by the
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<u></u>0001| <u>    state board and approved by the council.</u>
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0002|               <s>[B.]</s> <u>C.</u>  The state board shall, by regulation,
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0003|     establish minimum criteria for the establishment and operation
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0004|     of cooperatives.  The state board shall also establish
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0005|     procedures for oversight of cooperatives to ensure compliance
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0006|     with state board regulation.  Regional education cooperatives
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0007|     shall be exempt from the provisions of the Personnel Act."
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0008|          Section 5.  Section 22-2B-6 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993,
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0009|     Chapter 232, Section 6) is amended to read:
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0010|          "22-2B-6.  EDUCATIONAL COOPERATIVE FUNDS CREATED.--
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0011|     "Educational cooperative funds" are established in the state
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0012|     treasury.  The state treasurer shall establish individual
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0013|     educational cooperative funds for each cooperative authorized
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0014|     by the state board.  Money in each fund is appropriated to the
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0015|     <s>[individual council]</s> <u>department of education</u> for the
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0016|     purpose of carrying out the provisions of the Regional
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0017|     Cooperative Education Act.  Money in each fund may be
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0018|     distributed on warrants issued by the department of finance
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0019|     and administration pursuant to vouchers signed by the
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0020|     <s>[director of the cooperative]</s> <u>state superintendent</u> or his
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0021|     designee.  Any unencumbered or unexpended balance remaining in
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0022|     the funds at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to
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0023|     the general fund."
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0024|                              
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