FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE SECOND SESSION, 1998 SB 119/a February 13, 1998 Mr. President: Your WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred SENATE BILL 119 has had it under consideration and reports same with recommendation that it DO PASS, amended as follows: 1. On page 1, between lines 16 and 17, insert the following new section: "Section 1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS--DECLARATION OF PURPOSE.-- The legislature finds that: A. the provisions of the New Mexico Works Act that mandate benefit time limits and work requirements pose a significant job creation challenge for the state's businesses and communities; B. in January 1998, the human services department estimated that there were seventeen thousand eight hundred households receiving temporary assistance for needy families; C. in November 1997, the labor department estimated that there were forty-seven thousand five hundred twenty-three people unemployed and actively looking for work; D. the failure to create new jobs for temporary assistance for needy families recipients coupled with the high number of people unemployed and looking for work could result in an oversupply of labor, resulting in falling wages and benefits for many New Mexicans; E. meeting the challenge of creating new jobs for people on welfare plus reaching the goal of full employment for the rest of New Mexico's work force will require the creation of an estimated thirty-two thousand new jobs; F. the task is not spread evenly; the jobs deficit posed by unemployment and people on welfare in certain counties is considerably higher than in the state's metropolitan areas; G. without significant job growth in rural areas, temporary assistance for needy families recipients will either be forced to replace existing workers in these labor markets by bidding down the terms of work or leave their homes in search of work in metropolitan areas, disrupting family and community life and destroying the close ties of New Mexican communities; H. it is in the public interest that the state act to protect New Mexican communities, families and workers. To this end, the state must pursue strategies to encourage and create employment that is sufficient to sustain families and ensure the dignity of all workers, maintaining the health, efficiency and general well-being of workers against the unfair competition of wage and hours standards which do not provide adequate standards of living; I. the purpose of the welfare-to-work tax credit provided by this act is to expand the labor market by encouraging the creation of new, long-term positions in small, rural businesses, while ensuring that existing workers are protected from displacement or a loss in wages due to unfair competition or a lowering of the wage floor; and J. tax credits are but a first step toward the immense goal of creating jobs that will provide New Mexican workers with meaningful opportunities and the capacity to lift their families out of poverty.". 2. Renumber succeeding sections accordingly. 3. On page 1, line 24, after "employee" insert "in a state- qualified job". 4. On page 2, line 2, after "employee" insert "in that job". 5. On page 2, between lines 2 and 3, insert the following new subsection: "B. To be eligible for the credit provided by this section, a taxpayer must be in compliance with the following provisions: 6. On page 2, line 8, strike "and". 7. On page 2, line 14, strike the period and insert in lieu thereof "; and". 8. On page 2, between lines 14 and 15, insert the following new paragraph: "(3) "state-qualified job" means a job established by the taxpayer that: (a) when first occupied by a state-qualified employee results in the total number of the taxpayer's employees exceeding the greater of the number of the taxpayer's employees on the last day of the taxpayer's preceding tax year or the average number of the taxpayer's employees during the taxpayer's preceding tax year; or (b) was vacant for more than thirty days prior to the hiring of the state-qualified employee in that job.". 9. On page 2, line 16, after the second occurrence of "employee" insert "and whether the job is a state-qualified job". 10. On page 2, line 17, after the second occurrence of "employee" insert "and the job is a state-qualified job". 11. On page 3, line 25, after "employee" insert "in a state- qualified job". 12. On page 4, line 4, after "employee" insert "in that job". 13. On page 4, line 10, strike "and". 14. On page 4, line 16, strike the period and insert in lieu thereof "; and". 15. On page 4, between lines 16 and 17, insert the following new paragraph: "(3) "state-qualified job" means a job established by the taxpayer that: (a) when first occupied by a state-qualified employee results in the total number of the taxpayer's employees exceeding the greater of the number of the taxpayer's employees on the last day of the taxpayer's preceding tax year or the average number of the taxpayer's employees during the taxpayer's preceding tax year; or (b) was vacant for more than thirty days prior to the hiring of the state-qualified employee in that job.". 16. On page 4, line 18, after the second occurrence of "employee" insert "and whether the job is a state-qualified job". 17 On page 4, line 19, after the second occurrence of "employee" insert "and the job is a state-qualified job"., and thence referred to the FINANCE COMMITTEE. Respectfully submitted, __________________________________ Carlos R. Cisneros, Chairman Adopted_______________________ Not Adopted_______________________ (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) Date ________________________ The roll call vote was 6 For 0 Against Yes: 6 No: 0 Excused: Jennings, Kidd, Nava Absent: None S0119WM .123318.1/a