0001|                        SENATE BILL 127
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0002|     42ND LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION,
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0003|     1996
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0004|                         INTRODUCED BY
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0005|                        JANICE D. PASTER
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0006|     
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0007|                                
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0008|     
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0009|     FOR THE COURTS, CORRECTIONS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE
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0010|     
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0011|                             AN ACT
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0012|     RELATING TO PUBLIC DEFENDERS; ESTABLISHING A MINIMUM FUNDING 
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0013|     LEVEL FOR THE PUBLIC DEFENDER DEPARTMENT; INCREASING THE LEVEL
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0014|     OF REIMBURSEMENT TO COUNSEL FOR SERVICES PROVIDED TO INDIGENT
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0015|     CLIENTS; AMENDING SECTIONS OF THE NMSA 1978; MAKING AN
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0016|     APPROPRIATION.
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0017|     
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0018|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0019|       Section 1.  Section 31-15-5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978,
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0020|     Chapter 14, Section 1) is amended to read:
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0021|       "31-15-5.  PUBLIC DEFENDER DEPARTMENT--CREATION--ADMINISTRATION--FINANCE--MINIMUM FUNDING LEVEL.--
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0022|            A.  There is created the "public defender
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0023|     department".  The headquarters of the department shall be
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0024|     maintained at Santa Fe.  The chief shall be the administrative
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0025|     head of the department.  The department is administratively
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0001|     attached to the [criminal justice] corrections department.
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0002|            B.  All salaries and other expenses of the department
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0003|     shall be paid by warrants of the secretary of finance and
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0004|     administration, supported by vouchers signed by the chief or his
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0005|     authorized representative and in accordance with budgets
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0006|     approved by the state budget division of the department of
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0007|     finance and administration.
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0008|            C.  Beginning with fiscal year 1997, the general
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0009|     fund appropriation to the public defender department shall be
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0010|     not less than seventy-five percent of the sum of general fund
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0011|     appropriations to:
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0012|                (1) all district attorneys' offices in the
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0013|     state; and
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0014|                 (2) the criminal appeals division of the office
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0015|     of the attorney general."
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0016|       Section 2.  Section 31-15-9 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1973,
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0017|     Chapter 156, Section 9) is amended to read:
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0018|       "31-15-9.  DUTY OF CHIEF PUBLIC DEFENDER TO ESTABLISH
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0019|     DISTRICT PUBLIC DEFENDER OFFICE--APPOINTMENT OF DISTRICT PUBLIC
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0020|     DEFENDER.--
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0021|            A.  The chief shall designate one or more public
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0022|     defender districts having boundaries coextensive with the
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0023|     boundaries of one or more judicial districts of this state.  The
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0024|     chief shall consider the demand for legal services provided
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0025|     under the Public Defender Act, criminal case load statistics,
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0001|     population, geographical characteristics and any other relevant
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0002|     factor in the designation of public defender districts.
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0003|            B.  The chief may review the designation of districts
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0004|     at any time.  The review shall be based on the same factors
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0005|     enumerated in Subsection A of this section.  On the basis of the
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0006|     review, the chief may change the designation of any district so
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0007|     long as the new designation has boundaries coextensive with the
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0008|     boundaries of one or more judicial districts of this state.
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0009|            C.  The chief shall appoint a district public
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0010|     defender in each district.  The district public defender shall
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0011|     administer the operation of the district and shall serve at the
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0012|     pleasure of the chief. Each district public defender shall be an
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0013|     attorney licensed to practice law in the highest courts of this
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0014|     state and a resident of this state.
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0015|            D.  Beginning with fiscal year 1997, the level of
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0016|     general fund money distributed to public defender districts
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0017|     shall be not less than seventy-five percent of the level of
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0018|     general fund money appropriated to district attorneys' offices
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0019|     located in judicial districts served by the public defender
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0020|     districts."
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0021|       Section 3.  Section 31-16-8 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1968, 
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0022|     Chapter 69, Section 65) is amended to read:
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0023|       "31-16-8.  PAYMENT OF COSTS, EXPENSES AND ATTORNEY FEES.--
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0024|            A.  [Payments] Payment of costs, expenses and
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0025|     attorney fees under the Indigent Defense Act shall be made from:
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0001|                 (1)  funds appropriated to the supreme court
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0002|     with respect to habeas corpus matters initiated in that court;
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0003|     and 
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0004|                 (2)  funds appropriated to the district court
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0005|     with respect to all stages of proceedings initiated in the
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0006|     district court.
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0007|            B.  The court assigning counsel under the Indigent
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0008|     Defense Act shall pay costs, including the costs of transcripts
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0009|     where appropriate, shall reimburse counsel for direct expenses
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0010|     the court determines to have been properly incurred by him and
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0011|     shall pay to counsel fees:
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0012|                 (1)  for services in magistrate, [courts]
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0013|     metropolitan and district courts where the proceedings are
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0014|     terminated prior to trial in the district court, a sum fixed by
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0015|     the court at not less than one dollar ($1.00) [nor] or more
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0016|     than [three hundred dollars ($300)] eight hundred dollars
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0017|     ($800);
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0018|                 (2)  for services in magistrate, [courts]
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0019|     metropolitan and district courts [which] that include
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0020|     trial in the district court and, where appropriate, filing
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0021|     notice of appeal, a sum fixed by the court at not less than one
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0022|     dollar ($1.00) [nor] or more than [four hundred dollars
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0023|     ($400)] two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500);
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0024|                 (3)  for services in postconviction remedy
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0025|     proceedings in the district court, a sum fixed by the court at
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0001|     not less than one dollar ($1.00) [nor] or more than [one
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0002|     hundred fifty dollars ($150)] five hundred dollars ($500);
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0003|                 (4)  for services in prosecuting any appeal or
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0004|     review in the court of appeals or the supreme court, a sum fixed
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0005|     by the court at not less than one dollar ($1.00) [nor] or
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0006|     more than [five hundred dollars ($500)] one thousand two
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0007|     hundred dollars ($1,200);
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0008|                 (5)  for services in habeas corpus proceedings in
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0009|     the supreme court, a sum fixed by the court at not less than one
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0010|     dollar ($1.00) [nor] or more than [one hundred fifty
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0011|     dollars ($150)] six hundred dollars ($600); and
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0012|                 (6)  for services in any case involving a capital
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0013|     offense, a sum fixed by the court."
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0014|         Section 4.  APPROPRIATION.--Six million dollars ($6,000,000)
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0015|     is appropriated from the general fund to the public defender
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0016|     department for expenditure in fiscal year 1997 for the purpose
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0017|     of increasing the general fund appropriation to the public
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0018|     defender department to ensure that the general fund
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0019|     appropriation to the public defender department is not less than
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0020|     seventy-five percent of the sum of general fund appropriations
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0021|     made to all district attorneys' offices in the state and the
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0022|     criminal appeals division of the office of the attorney general. 
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0023|     Any unexpected or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of
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0024|     fiscal year 1997 shall revert to the general fund.
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0025|         Section 5.  EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
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0001|         provisions of this act is July 1, 1996.  
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0002|   
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0003|                    FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE
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0004|                      SECOND SESSION, 1996
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0005|   
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0006|   
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0007|                                              JANUARY 23, 1996
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0008|   
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0009|   Mr. President:
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0010|   
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0011|     Your COMMITTEES' COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred
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0012|   
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0013|                           SENATE BILL 127
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0014|   
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0015|   has had it under consideration and finds same to be GERMANE, PURSUANT
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0016|   TO CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS, and thence referred to the JUDICIARY
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0017|   COMMITTEE.
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0018|   
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0019|                              Respectfully submitted,
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0020|   
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0021|   
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0022|   
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0023|   
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0024|                              __________________________________
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0025|                              SENATOR MANNY M. ARAGON, Chairman 
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0001|   
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0002|   
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0003|   
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0004|   Adopted_______________________ Not Adopted_______________________
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0005|             (Chief Clerk)                        (Chief Clerk)
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0006|   
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0007|   
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0008|                     Date ________________________
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0009|   
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0010|   
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0011|   
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0012|     S0127CC1  
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0013|   
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0014|                      FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE
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0015|   
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0016|   
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0017|                      FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE
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0018|                        SECOND SESSION, 1996
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0019|   
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0020|   
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0021|                                                   January 31, 1996
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0022|   
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0023|   Mr. President:
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0024|   
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0025|     Your JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred
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0001|   
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0002|                           SENATE BILL 127
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0003|   
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0004|   has had it under consideration and reports same with recommendation that
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0005|   it DO PASS, and thence referred to the FINANCE COMMITTEE.
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0006|   
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0007|                              Respectfully submitted,
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0008|   
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0009|   
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0010|   
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0011|                              __________________________________
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0012|                              Janice D. Paster, Chairman 
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0013|   
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0014|   
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0015|   
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0016|   Adopted_______________________ Not Adopted_______________________
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0017|             (Chief Clerk)                          (Chief Clerk)
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0018|   
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0019|   
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0020|                     Date ________________________
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0021|   
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0022|   
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0023|   The roll call vote was  5  For  0  Against
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0024|   Yes:  5
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0025|   No:        0
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0001|   Excused:   Carraro, Stefanics, Tsosie, Vernon
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0002|   Absent:    None
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0003|   
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0004|   
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0005|   S0127JU1
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0006|   
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0007|         
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0008|   
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0009|                      FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE             SB 127/a
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0010|                        SECOND SESSION, 1996
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0011|   
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0012|   
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0013|                                                   February 7, 1996
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0014|   
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0015|   Mr. President:
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0016|   
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0017|     Your FINANCE COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred
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0018|   
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0019|                           SENATE BILL 127
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0020|   
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0021|   has had it under consideration and reports same with recommendation that
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0022|   it DO PASS, amended as follows:
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0023|   
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0024|     1.  On page 1, lines 14 and 15, strike "; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION".
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0025|   
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0001|     2.  On page 2, line 8, strike "1997" and insert in lieu thereof
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0002|   "1998".
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0003|   
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0004|     3.  On page 3, line 15, strike "1997" and insert in lieu thereof
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0005|   "1998".
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0006|   
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0007|     4.  On page 5, strike lines 13 through 23 in their entirety.
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0008|   
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0009|     5.  Renumber the succeeding section accordingly.
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0010|   
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0011|                  Respectfully submitted,
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0012|   
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0013|   
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0014|   
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0015|                  __________________________________
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0016|                  Ben D. Altamirano, Chairman 
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0017|   
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0018|   
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0019|   
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0020|   Adopted_______________________ Not Adopted_______________________
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0021|             (Chief Clerk)                          (Chief Clerk)
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0022|   
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0023|   
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0024|                     Date ________________________
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0025|   
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0001|   
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0002|   
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0003|   
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0004|   
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0005|   
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0006|   The roll call vote was  7  For  0  Against
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0007|   Yes:  7
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0008|   No:     0
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0009|   Excused:   Aragon, Duran, Ingle, Kidd, Macias, Nava, 
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0010|   Absent: None
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0011|   
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0012|   
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0013|   S0127FC1                                               .111892.1
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0014|   
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0015|                             State of New Mexico
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0016|                      House of Representatives
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0017|   
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0018|                      FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE
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0019|                        SECOND SESSION, 1996
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0020|   
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0021|   
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0022|                                                  February 14, 1996
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0023|   
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0024|   
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0025|   Mr. Speaker:
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0001|   
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0002|    Your APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, to whom has
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0003|   been referred
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0004|   
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0005|                    SENATE BILL 127, as amended
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0006|                                  
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0007|                                   has had it under consideration and reports same with
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0008|   recommendation that it DO PASS.
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0009|   
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0010|                             Respectfully submitted,
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0011|   
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0012|   
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0013|   
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0014|                                                              
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0015|                                 Max Coll, Chairman
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0016|   
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0017|   
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0018|   Adopted                      Not Adopted                       
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0019|         (Chief Clerk)                       (Chief Clerk)
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0020|   
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0021|                         Date             
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0022|   
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0023|   The roll call vote was  13  For  5  Against
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0024|   Yes:       13
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0025|   No:        Bird, Buffett, Light, Reyes, Townsend
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0001|   Excused:   None
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0002|   Absent:    None
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0003|   
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0004|   
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0005|                                                                   
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0006|     S0127AF1                        State of New Mexico
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0007|                      House of Representatives
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0008|   
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0009|                      FORTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE
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0010|                        SECOND SESSION, 1996
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0011|   
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0012|   
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0013|                                                  February 13, 1996
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0014|   
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0015|   
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0016|   Mr. Speaker:
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0017|   
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0018|    Your JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred
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0019|   
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0020|                     SENATE BILL 127, as amended
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0021|                                  
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0022|                                   has had it under consideration and reports same with
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0023|   recommendation that it DO PASS, and thence referred to the
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0024|   APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
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0025|   
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0001|                             Respectfully submitted,
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0002|   
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0003|   
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0004|   
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0005|                                                              
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0006|                                 Cisco McSorley, Chairman
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0007|   
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0008|   
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0009|   Adopted                      Not Adopted                       
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0010|         (Chief Clerk)                       (Chief Clerk)
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0011|   
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0012|                         Date             
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0013|   
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0014|   The roll call vote was 9  For 1  Against
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0015|   Yes:       9
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0016|   No:        Gubbels
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0017|   Excused:   Larranaga, Sanchez, R.G. 
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0018|   Absent:    Luna
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0019|   
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0020|   
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0021|   
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0022|                                                                   
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0023|   S0127JC1
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