SB 984

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AN ACT

RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION; ALLOWING BRANCH COMMUNITY

COLLEGES TO ELECT BOARD MEMBERS FROM DISTRICTS.

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

Section 1. A new section of Chapter 21, Article 14 NMSA

1978 is enacted to read:

"BRANCH COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD--OPTIONAL FORM.--

A. The branch community college board of a branch

community college may, by adoption of a resolution, establish

a board composed of five members elected from single-member

districts within the branch community college district for

staggered terms. The single-member districts shall be

compact and contiguous and composed of populations as equal

as practicable. Members shall be required to reside in the

districts from which elected. If a member no longer resides

in the election district from which that member was elected,

the member shall be deemed to have resigned and the vacancy

created by the resignation shall be filled in the manner

provided by law for the filling of vacancies on the board of

a branch community college.

B. The board members shall draw lots to determine

which board position will coincide with which election

district during the meeting at which the board is resolved to

change to a districted board.

SB 984

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C. The board shall redistrict once after each

federal decennial census. The board may adopt a resolution to

have the board's election districts coincide with the county

commission districts if the county commission has five

districts and the boundaries of the county and branch

community college district are identical."