A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THAT THE EXECUTIVE TASK FORCE ON DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT DEVELOP POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES TO INCREASE THE EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN STATE GOVERNMENT.

     WHEREAS, there are more than three hundred thirty-eight thousand New Mexicans with disabilities, and the employment rate of persons with disabilities remains unacceptably low compared with the employment rate of the general population in New Mexico and nationally; and

     WHEREAS, all New Mexicans are entitled to an opportunity to be gainfully employed and to contribute to society, their community and their personal well-being; and

     WHEREAS, our society places a high value on work but does not provide adequate accessibility for persons with disabilities to participate in the work force; and

     WHEREAS, persons with disabilities often face significant barriers to accessing meaningful and gainful employment due to the shortage of support services needed by many persons with disabilities in the work place; and

     WHEREAS, there are employment services that offer proven, effective support to persons with disabilities who want to join the work force; and

     WHEREAS, employed persons with disabilities contribute significantly to the state's economy and revenues; and

     WHEREAS, state government should promote partnerships and collaborations among state agencies and the private sector to ensure the effective use of resources; and

     WHEREAS, Governor Bill Richardson created the executive task force on disability employment, an interagency work group, to develop policies and procedures to facilitate the increased employment of persons with disabilities throughout state government; and

     WHEREAS, the governor's commission on disability, the vocational rehabilitation division of the public education department, the labor department, the governor's office of workforce training and development, the commission for deaf and hard-of-hearing persons, the special education bureau of the public education department, the aging and long-term services department, the state personnel office, the commission for community volunteerism, the commission for the blind and the developmental disabilities planning council have developed a proposal for increasing the employment of persons with disabilities within state government; and

     WHEREAS, the state has an interest in increasing the employment of persons with disabilities, because employment allows them to exit state-funded services and assistance programs; and

     WHEREAS, the governor has challenged municipalities, other government entities and the business community to increase the employment of persons with disabilities;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the executive task force on disability employment be directed to develop policies, procedures and guidelines that can be utilized by state agencies to recruit, hire, retain and promote persons with disabilities for state government positions; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all state entities and agencies follow these policies, procedures and guidelines to recruit, hire, retain and promote persons with disabilities for state government positions; and

       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the executive task force on disability employment report the policies, procedures and guidelines it develops to the appropriate interim legislative committee prior to the second session of the forty-seventh legislature; and

      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the members of the executive task force on disability employment.