0001|                           SENATE BILL 251
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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|                         TIMOTHY Z. JENNINGS
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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; PROVIDING FOR A TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP A
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0012|     STATEWIDE DISTANCE EDUCATION INITIATIVE TO ENHANCE EDUCATIONAL
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0013|     OPPORTUNITIES AND WORK FORCE TRAINING FOR WELFARE RECIPIENTS
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0014|     AND OTHERS; PROVIDING POWERS AND DUTIES FOR THE COMMISSION ON
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0015|     HIGHER EDUCATION; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS.
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0016|     
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0017|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0018|          Section 1.  DISTANCE EDUCATION--WORK FORCE TRAINING--
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0019|     COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION DUTIES--TASK FORCE.--
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0020|               A.  The commission on higher education shall
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0021|     coordinate a statewide distance education initiative,
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0022|     including vocational education, to enhance work force training
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0023|     for welfare recipients and others, including paying the cost
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0024|     of connecting post-secondary educational institutions around
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0025|     the state through the emergency access fiber optic line of the
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0001|     national guard armories.
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0002|               B.  The commission shall establish a task force
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0003|     made up of representatives from:
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0004|                    (1)  state and local armory boards;
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0005|                    (2)  the economic development department;
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0006|                    (3)  the labor department;
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0007|                    (4)  the state department of public education;
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0008|                    (5)  the human services department;
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0009|                    (6)  business and industry around the state;
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0010|     and
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0011|                    (7)  post-secondary educational institutions.
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0012|               C.  The task force shall assist the commission by:
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0013|                    (1)  identifying career opportunities in
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0014|     different areas of the state;
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0015|                    (2)  identifying what kind of education is
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0016|     needed in those areas and designing courses to fit area needs;
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0017|     and
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0018|                    (3)  determining the best methods of
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0019|     delivering distance education in the most efficient and cost-
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0020|     effective manner.
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0021|               D.  The task force shall develop and the commission
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0022|     shall implement a vocational education program to meet the
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0023|     work activity needs of welfare recipients in accordance with

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0024|     state and federal law. 
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0025|               E.  The commission shall study the cost of
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0001|     providing national guard members scholarships for distance
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0002|     education programs developed pursuant to this section as an
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0003|     incentive for local armories to participate in the program
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0004|     through the use of the emergency access fiber optic line.
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0005|               F.  The commission and the task force may evaluate
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0006|     the participation of public schools in the distance education
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0007|     initiative.
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0008|          Section 2.  APPROPRIATIONS.--
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0009|               A.  Three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) is
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0010|     appropriated from the general fund to the commission on higher
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0011|     education for expenditure in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 to
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0012|     carry out the provisions of Section 1 of this act, including
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0013|     connecting post-secondary educational institutions around the
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0014|     state through the emergency access fiber optic line of the
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0015|     national guard armories.  Any unexpended or unencumbered
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0016|     balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert
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0017|     to the general fund.
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0018|               B.  Three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) is
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0019|     appropriated from the general fund to the department of
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0020|     military affairs for expenditure in fiscal years 1999 and 2000
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0021|     to connect post-secondary educational institutions around the
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0022|     state through the emergency access fiber optic line of the
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0023|     national guard armories.  Any unexpended or unencumbered
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0024|     balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert
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0025|     to the general fund.
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