0001|                           SENATE BILL 251
    |
0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
    |
0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
    |
0004|                         TIMOTHY Z. JENNINGS
    |
0005|     
    |
0006|                                   
    |
0007|     
    |
0008|                                   
    |
0009|     
    |
0010|                                AN ACT
    |
0011|     RELATING TO EDUCATION; PROVIDING FOR A TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP A
    |
0012|     STATEWIDE DISTANCE EDUCATION INITIATIVE TO ENHANCE EDUCATIONAL
    |
0013|     OPPORTUNITIES AND WORK FORCE TRAINING FOR WELFARE RECIPIENTS
    |
0014|     AND OTHERS; PROVIDING POWERS AND DUTIES FOR THE COMMISSION ON
    |
0015|     HIGHER EDUCATION; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS.
    |
0016|     
    |
0017|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
    |
0018|          Section 1.  DISTANCE EDUCATION--WORK FORCE TRAINING--
    |
0019|     COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION DUTIES--TASK FORCE.--
    |
0020|               A.  The commission on higher education shall
    |
0021|     coordinate a statewide distance education initiative,
    |
0022|     including vocational education, to enhance work force training
    |
0023|     for welfare recipients and others, including paying the cost
    |
0024|     of connecting post-secondary educational institutions around
    |
0025|     the state through the emergency access fiber optic line of the
    |
                                        - 1 -

0001|     national guard armories.
    |
0002|               B.  The commission shall establish a task force
    |
0003|     made up of representatives from:
    |
0004|                    (1)  state and local armory boards;
    |
0005|                    (2)  the economic development department;
    |
0006|                    (3)  the labor department;
    |
0007|                    (4)  the state department of public education;
    |
0008|                    (5)  the human services department;
    |
0009|                    (6)  business and industry around the state;
    |
0010|     and
    |
0011|                    (7)  post-secondary educational institutions.
    |
0012|               C.  The task force shall assist the commission by:
    |
0013|                    (1)  identifying career opportunities in
    |
0014|     different areas of the state;
    |
0015|                    (2)  identifying what kind of education is
    |
0016|     needed in those areas and designing courses to fit area needs;
    |
0017|     and
    |
0018|                    (3)  determining the best methods of
    |
0019|     delivering distance education in the most efficient and cost-
    |
0020|     effective manner.
    |
0021|               D.  The task force shall develop and the commission
    |
0022|     shall implement a vocational education program to meet the
    |
0023|     work activity needs of welfare recipients in accordance with
    |
0024|     state and federal law. 
    |
0025|               E.  The commission shall study the cost of
    |
                                        - 2 -

0001|     providing national guard members scholarships for distance
    |
0002|     education programs developed pursuant to this section as an
    |
0003|     incentive for local armories to participate in the program
    |
0004|     through the use of the emergency access fiber optic line.
    |
0005|               F.  The commission and the task force may evaluate
    |
0006|     the participation of public schools in the distance education
    |
0007|     initiative.
    |
0008|          Section 2.  APPROPRIATIONS.--
    |
0009|               A.  Three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) is
    |
0010|     appropriated from the general fund to the commission on higher
    |
0011|     education for expenditure in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 to
    |
0012|     carry out the provisions of Section 1 of this act, including
    |
0013|     connecting post-secondary educational institutions around the
    |
0014|     state through the emergency access fiber optic line of the
    |
0015|     national guard armories.  Any unexpended or unencumbered
    |
0016|     balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert
    |
0017|     to the general fund.
    |
0018|               B.  Three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) is
    |
0019|     appropriated from the general fund to the department of
    |
0020|     military affairs for expenditure in fiscal years 1999 and 2000
    |
0021|     to connect post-secondary educational institutions around the
    |
0022|     state through the emergency access fiber optic line of the
    |
0023|     national guard armories.  Any unexpended or unencumbered
    |
0024|     balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert
    |
0025|     to the general fund.
    |
                                        - 3 -

0001|                              
    |