44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; CREATING A STUDENT ATTENDANCE OVERSIGHT TASK FORCE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. STUDENT ATTENDANCE OVERSIGHT TASK FORCE--CREATION--TERMINATION.--The "student attendance oversight task force" is created. The task force shall function from the date of its appointment until the first day of December prior to the second session of the forty-fourth legislature.

Section 2. MEMBERSHIP--APPOINTMENT--VACANCIES.--

A. The student attendance oversight task force shall be composed of six legislative members; three public advisory members, one of whom shall be a graduate of or current student at an alternative high school and one of whom shall be a graduate of or current student at a public high school; and one representative from the state department of public education.

B. Three members of the house of representatives shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and three members of the senate shall be appointed by the committees' committee of the senate or, if the senate appointments are made in the interim, by the president pro tempore of the senate after consultation with and the agreement of a majority of the members of the committees' committee. Members shall be appointed from each house so as to give the two major political parties in each house the same proportional representation on the task force as prevails in each house; however, in no event shall either party have less than one member from each house on the task force. Vacancies on the task force shall be filled by appointment in the same manner as the original appointments.

C. The governor shall appoint, so as to represent the state's ethnic and geographic diversity, three public advisory members to the task force.

D. The members of the task force shall be paid per diem and mileage in accordance with the provisions of the Per Diem and Mileage Act plus reimbursement for reasonable actual expenses.

E. The task force shall also include one advisory member representing the state department of public education appointed by the president of the state board of education.

F. The speaker of the house of representatives and the president pro tempore of the senate shall each designate one co-chairman of the task force.

Section 3. DUTIES.--

A. After its appointment, the student attendance oversight task force shall hold one organizational meeting to develop a work plan and budget for the ensuing interim. The work plan and budget shall be submitted to the New Mexico legislative council for approval.

B. Upon approval of the work plan and budget by the legislative council, the task force shall oversee the implementation of the legislative directives relating to student attendance and graduation, including development of a method to allocate the funds that each school district receives under the state equalization guarantee to create incentives to improve the student attendance and graduation rate.

C. The task force shall recommend legislation or changes, if any are found to be necessary, to the legislature.

Section 4. REPORT.--The student attendance oversight task force shall make a report of its findings and recommendations for the consideration of the second session of the forty-fourth legislature. The reports and suggested legislation shall be made available to the New Mexico legislative council on or before November 1 preceding the session.

Section 5. STAFF.--The staff for the student attendance oversight task force shall be provided by the legislative council service.