HOUSE BILL 283

56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2024

INTRODUCED BY

Rod Montoya and James G. Townsend and Randall T. Pettigrew

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO THE LEGISLATURE; PROVIDING FOR NONPARTISAN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE AND POLICY SUPPORT FOR LEGISLATORS IN REGIONAL OFFICES; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

 

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

     SECTION 1. A new section of Chapter 2, Article 3 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] LEGISLATOR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE AND POLICY SUPPORT.--

          A. The New Mexico legislative council shall oversee the hiring of year-round legislative support personnel to provide nonpartisan administrative assistance and policy support to legislators.

          B. The legislative support personnel shall be assigned to one of twelve regional legislative offices, as established by the New Mexico legislative council.

          C. Legislative support personnel shall not exceed thirty nonpartisan full-time-equivalent employees and shall be employed by and report to the director of the legislative council service or the director's designee within the legislative council service; provided that a legislator may participate in the interview and selection process for the legislative support personnel assigned to the legislator's regional office.

          D. Each legislator shall be entitled to utilize on average ten hours per week of the legislative support personnel assigned to the legislator's regional office.

          E. Legislative support personnel shall perform nonpartisan administrative and policy support duties at the direction of legislators to whom the personnel are assigned but shall not initiate, plan or participate in community engagement or partisan activities."

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Six million dollars ($6,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative council service for expenditure in fiscal year 2025 to provide for legislative support personnel, including salaries and benefits, information technology equipment and software, furniture, supplies, office space and other necessary support as directed or approved by the New Mexico legislative council. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2025 shall revert to the general fund.

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