0001|                           SENATE BILL 227
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                             CYNTHIA NAVA
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|                                   
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO EDUCATION; ESTABLISHING A PROGRAM PROVIDING
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0012|     STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE
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0013|     LEGISLATIVE PROCESS; ENACTING THE STUDENT CONGRESS ACT; MAKING
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0014|     AN APPROPRIATION.
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0015|     
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0016|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0017|          Section 1.  SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the
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0018|     "Student Congress Act".
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0019|          Section 2.  PURPOSE.--The purpose of the Student Congress
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0020|     Act is to enable youths in New Mexico to learn about the
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0021|     operation of the legislature first-hand by observing and
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0022|     participating in the interim legislative process and hearing
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0023|     from prominent state leaders on the functions of state
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0024|     government.
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0025|          Section 3.  PLACEMENT OF STUDENTS.--
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0001|               A.  Each legislator in the house of representatives
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0002|     and in the senate may select a student who is at least a
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0003|     sophomore in high school to participate in the student
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0004|     congress program during the interims prior to sixty-day
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0005|     sessions.
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0006|               B.  Students shall have the opportunity to assist
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0007|     and observe an interim legislative committee and attend
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0008|     seminars at the state capitol, where legislative leaders shall
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0009|     address youth on:
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0010|                    (1)  the legislative process;
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0011|                    (2)  current issues the legislature may be
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0012|     examining through the interim committee process;
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0013|                    (3)  leadership training; and
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0014|                    (4)  other areas of interest, as determined by
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0015|     the legislative leadership.
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0016|               C.  The chief clerk of the senate and the chief
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0017|     clerk of the house of representatives shall coordinate and
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0018|     administer the program.
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0019|               D.  Students traveling from various points around
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0020|     the state shall be reimbursed for travel to and from interim
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0021|     legislative committee meetings and the state capitol.
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0022|          Section 4.  APPROPRIATION.--One hundred twenty-five
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0023|     thousand dollars ($125,000) is appropriated from the general
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0024|     fund to the legislative council service for expenditure in
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0025|     fiscal year 1999 to reimburse students participating in the
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0001|     student congress program for travel expenses and to reimburse
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0002|     the chief clerk of the senate and the chief clerk of the house
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0003|     of representatives for administrative costs associated with
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0004|     the program.  Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining
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0005|     at the end of fiscal year 1999 shall revert to the general
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0006|     fund.
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0007|                              
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