0001| SENATE BILL 251
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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| TIMOTHY Z. JENNINGS
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0006|
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0008|
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0009|
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0010| AN ACT
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0011| RELATING TO EDUCATION; PROVIDING FOR A TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP A
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0012| STATEWIDE DISTANCE EDUCATION INITIATIVE TO ENHANCE EDUCATIONAL
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0013| OPPORTUNITIES AND WORK FORCE TRAINING FOR WELFARE RECIPIENTS
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0014| AND OTHERS; PROVIDING POWERS AND DUTIES FOR THE COMMISSION ON
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0015| HIGHER EDUCATION; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS.
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0016|
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0017| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0018| Section 1. DISTANCE EDUCATION--WORK FORCE TRAINING--
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0019| COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION DUTIES--TASK FORCE.--
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0020| A. The commission on higher education shall
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0021| coordinate a statewide distance education initiative,
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0022| including vocational education, to enhance work force training
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0023| for welfare recipients and others, including paying the cost
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0024| of connecting post-secondary educational institutions around
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0025| the state through the emergency access fiber optic line of the
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0001| national guard armories.
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0002| B. The commission shall establish a task force
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0003| made up of representatives from:
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0004| (1) state and local armory boards;
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0005| (2) the economic development department;
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0006| (3) the labor department;
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0007| (4) the state department of public education;
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0008| (5) the human services department;
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0009| (6) business and industry around the state;
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0010| and
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0011| (7) post-secondary educational institutions.
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0012| C. The task force shall assist the commission by:
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0013| (1) identifying career opportunities in
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0014| different areas of the state;
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0015| (2) identifying what kind of education is
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0016| needed in those areas and designing courses to fit area needs;
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0017| and
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0018| (3) determining the best methods of
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0019| delivering distance education in the most efficient and cost-
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0020| effective manner.
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0021| D. The task force shall develop and the commission
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0022| shall implement a vocational education program to meet the
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0023| work activity needs of welfare recipients in accordance with
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0024| state and federal law.
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0025| E. The commission shall study the cost of
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0001| providing national guard members scholarships for distance
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0002| education programs developed pursuant to this section as an
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0003| incentive for local armories to participate in the program
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0004| through the use of the emergency access fiber optic line.
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0005| F. The commission and the task force may evaluate
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0006| the participation of public schools in the distance education
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0007| initiative.
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0008| Section 2. APPROPRIATIONS.--
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0009| A. Three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) is
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0010| appropriated from the general fund to the commission on higher
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0011| education for expenditure in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 to
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0012| carry out the provisions of Section 1 of this act, including
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0013| connecting post-secondary educational institutions around the
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0014| state through the emergency access fiber optic line of the
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0015| national guard armories. Any unexpended or unencumbered
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0016| balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert
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0017| to the general fund.
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0018| B. Three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) is
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0019| appropriated from the general fund to the department of
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0020| military affairs for expenditure in fiscal years 1999 and 2000
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0021| to connect post-secondary educational institutions around the
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0022| state through the emergency access fiber optic line of the
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0023| national guard armories. Any unexpended or unencumbered
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0024| balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert
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0025| to the general fund.
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