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A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION ADMINISTRATION TO CREATE

A TASK FORCE TO STUDY WHETHER TO ADD WORKERS' COMPENSATION

COVERAGE FOR FARM AND RANCH LABORERS.

WHEREAS, the workers' compensation administration is

charged with administering the workers' compensation laws of

this state; and

WHEREAS, current workers' compensation law applies to

employers of three or more workers, excluding the owner, in

most cases; and

WHEREAS, current workers' compensation law allows an

exemption for farm and ranch laborers; and

WHEREAS, covering farm and ranch laborers could have a

significant fiscal impact for businesses and for the state;

and

WHEREAS, eligibility for workers' compensation insurance

could have a significant impact on the farm and ranch laborers

who are not currently covered;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the workers'

compensation administration be requested to create a task

force to study the fiscal and policy implications of adding

farm and ranch laborers to workers' compensation coverage; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the workers' compensation

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administration create a task force of equal numbers of persons

who are actively engaged as farm and ranch business owners and

their advocates, persons who are farm and ranch laborers and

their advocates and persons who are with the workers'

compensation administration and persons actively engaged in

the insurance industry; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the workers' compensation

administration report to the appropriate interim committee the

conclusions and recommendations of the task force by November

2007 and report to the appropriate interim legislative

committee the conclusions of the task force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

transmitted to the advisory council on workers' compensation

and occupational disease disablement compensation, the

workers' compensation administration, the director of the New

Mexico department of agriculture, the secretary of labor and

the governor.