44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first special session, 1999

CREATING THE EDUCATION PROGRAM INITIATIVES AND ACCOUNTABILITY TASK FORCE AND PROVIDING FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP AND DUTIES; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

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

Section 1. EDUCATION REFORM TASK FORCE CREATED--MEMBERSHIP--APPOINTMENT--DUTIES.--

A. The "education reform task force" is created and shall consist of nineteen members appointed as follows:

(1) three members of the house of representatives, two from the majority party and one from the minority party, shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(2) three members of the senate, two from the majority party and one from the minority party, shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the senate after consultation and agreement of a majority of the members of the committees' committee;

(3) three members of the executive department appointed by the governor;

(4) the superintendent of public instruction or his designee;

(5) the president of the state board of education or his designee;

(6) the president of the New Mexico school boards association or his designee;

(7) one elementary or secondary school teacher, one school administrator and one parent of school-age children, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and the president pro tempore of the senate; and

(8) one elementary or secondary school teacher, one school administrator, private or public, and two representatives of private industry appointed by the governor.

B. The task force members shall be appointed so as to provide representation from the various geographic areas of the state. Appointments shall be made no later than twenty days after the effective date of this act. The governor, with the concurrence of the speaker of the house of representatives and the president pro tempore of the senate, shall appoint a chairman from among the members of the task force within fourteen days of the appointment of the task force.

C. The governor, the speaker of the house of representatives and the president pro tempore of the senate may agree to appoint advisory members to the task force to provide a broad range of educational views, interests and expertise as necessary to accomplish its task.

D. The task force shall meet at the call of the chair, but no less than once a month, as necessary to carry out its duties. A majority of the members appointed constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business. However, the final report of the task force findings and recommendations must also have the support of a majority of the legislative members.

E. The task force shall develop a plan for public school accountability. To carry out this task, the task force shall determine and identify the educational strengths and deficiencies in the state's public schools and consider the broadest range of educational issues, including special program initiatives, such as vouchers, charter schools and charter districts and other alternative educational programs, basic skills education, teacher quality and qualifications, early childhood education, open enrollment, educational testing and education accountability. The task force shall report its findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, no later than December 1, 1999 for the consideration of the second session of the forty-fourth legislature.

F. The legislative council service shall staff the task force and shall coordinate additional staff assistance from other legislative and executive agencies as needed. The legislative council service, at the request of the task force, may contract with educational consultants or other persons with expertise as needed to carry out its task.

G. Public members of the task force shall be reimbursed for per diem and mileage expenses as provided for public officers in the Per Diem and Mileage Act.

Section 2. APPROPRIATION.--One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative council service for expenditure in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 to carry out the provisions of this act and to reimburse the per diem and mileage expenses of the educational reform task force. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert to the general fund. Payments from the appropriation shall be made upon vouchers signed by the director of the legislative council service or his authorized representative.

Section 3. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.