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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T



SPONSOR: Griego DATE TYPED: 02/15/00 HB
SHORT TITLE: Create New Mexico Land Grant Claims Interim SB SJM 22/aSFl#1
Committee ANALYST: Pickering

APPROPRIATION



Appropriation Contained
Estimated Additional Impact
Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY00 FY01 FY00 FY01

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION



Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD)

New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA)



SUMMARY



Synopsis of SFl#1 Amendment



The Senate Floor amendment strikes language pertaining to land forum appointees being placed on the legislative committee, and specifically adds the state historian, a representative from the attorney general's office and five land grant designees to the committee.



Synopsis of Original Bill



SJM 22 requests the creation of a legislative committee to oversee and assist the federal General Accounting Office (GAO) in its investigation of New Mexico land grant claims flowing from the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe. The memorial states that many of the land rights recognized by the treaty have been lost to the grantees and their heirs. The GAO investigation would evaluate the legal obligation of the federal government to protect those land grant rights and determine how to resolve issues stemming from the federal failure to protect the rights of the community land grants.



Significant Issues



According to NMDA, the outcome of a GAO investigation could result in congressional actions that could have significant impact upon the state. If historic land grants and rights are determined to have been violated, and if any congress acts to redress these violations, land currently owned by others could be vested to those with ownership claims. Among other things, this could have ramifications on property taxes and water rights.



RP/njw:gm