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SPONSOR: |
Begaye |
DATE TYPED: |
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HB |
151/aHJC/aHFl#1 |
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SHORT TITLE: |
Appoint Indian to Commissions |
SB |
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ANALYST: |
Chabot |
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APPROPRIATION
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Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
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FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
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NFI |
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(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
LFC Files
Responses
Received From
New
Mexico Environment Department (NMED)
Office
of the State Engineer (OSE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of HFl#1
House Floor Amendment Number 1 strikes “Native American” on page 2, line 2 and inserts “member of a New Mexico Indian tribe or pueblo.”
This was already changed by the HJC amendment
described below.
Synopsis
of HJC Amendment
The House Judiciary Committee amendment changes the term
“Native American” to “member of a New Mexico Indian Tribe or
Synopsis
of Original Bill
House Bill 151 amends
Section 72-14-1 NMSA 1978 and Section 74-6-3 NMSA 1978 to require a Native
American be appointed to the Interstate Stream Commission (ISC) and the Water
Quality Control Commission (WQCC).
Significant
Issues
Current membership of the ISC is eight members
from major irrigation districts appointed by the Governor and a ninth member
who is the State Engineer. This bill
would require one of the eight appointed members be a Native American.
Current membership of the WQCC consists of 12
members: six are secretaries or directors of state agencies, the chairman of
the soil and water conservation commission, the director of the Bureau of Mines
and Mineral Resources at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, a
municipal or county government representative, and three public representatives
appointed by the Governor. This bill
would require that one of the three public representatives be a Native American.
NMED states that since the inception of the
Water Quality Act, a number of groups have indicated a desire to designate
public member slots for their particular interest group. It is important to ensure that the commission
will not become even larger and more unwieldy by granting designated public
member slots. The Governor currently has
the discretion to nominate Native Americans to both of the commissions.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS