0001|                            HOUSE BILL 371
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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|                            DANICE PICRAUX
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|                                   
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO PUBLIC WELFARE; PROVIDING FOR AN INMATE WORK FOOD
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0012|     DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM AND PILOT PROJECT; MAKING AN
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0013|     APPROPRIATION; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
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0014|     
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0015|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0016|          Section 1.  INMATE WORK FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM--PILOT
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0017|     PROJECT.--     
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0018|               A.  The corrections department shall establish and
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0019|     administer an inmate work food distribution program.  The
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0020|     program shall provide for and administer a food harvesting and
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0021|     distribution program of agricultural crops that might
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0022|     otherwise go to waste.  The agricultural crops shall be
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0023|     distributed to sick or indigent persons.  The corrections
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0024|     department shall cooperate with other departments, public
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0025|     bodies and private landowners as it deems appropriate to
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0001|     develop and implement policies and procedures and shall
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0002|     provide staffing and administrative support for the program,
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0003|     including its harvesting and distribution systems.
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0004|               B.  As part of the inmate work food distribution
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0005|     program, the corrections department shall conduct a harvesting
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0006|     and distribution pilot project using minimum-security inmates
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0007|     of state correctional facilities.  The corrections department
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0008|     shall cooperate with the human services department to
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0009|     establish and implement the food distribution system,
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0010|     policies, procedures or other features of the pilot project. 
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0011|               C.  The pilot project shall be implemented on state
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0012|     or private lands, with the private landowner's consent, that
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0013|     are in proximity to the correctional facilities housing the
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0014|     inmates.  Agricultural products harvested through the pilot
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0015|     project shall be distributed only to sick or indigent persons.
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0016|               D.  The corrections department shall report and
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0017|     make recommendations to the appropriate interim legislative
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0018|     committee not later than November 1, 1998 on whether to
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0019|     continue, discontinue or modify the pilot project.
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0020|               E.  As used in this section, "agricultural crop"
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0021|     means any owner-donated food or nonfood crop or product grown
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0022|     on land, including firewood.
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0023|          Section 2.  APPROPRIATION.--Eighty-three thousand dollars
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0024|     ($83,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the
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0025|     corrections department for expenditure in fiscal years 1998
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0001|     and 1999 for the purpose of establishing and operating a food
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0002|     harvesting and distribution pilot project.  Any unexpended 
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0003|     unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 1999
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0004|     shall revert to the general fund.
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0005|          Section 3.  EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public
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0006|     peace, health and safety that this act take effect
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0007|     immediately.
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0008|                              
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