0001|                           SENATE BILL 150
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0002|     43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                          JOSEPH J. CARRARO
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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 VETERANS; INCREASING THE POWERS OF THE NEW MEXICO
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0012|     VETERANS' SERVICE COMMISSION; CREATING A FUND; MAKING AN
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0013|     APPROPRIATION.
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0014|     
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0015|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0016|          Section 1.  Section 28-13-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1977,
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0017|     Chapter 252, Section 33) is amended to read:
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0018|          "28-13-1.  SHORT TITLE. <s>[Sections 74-1-1 through 74-1-12
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<s></s>0019| <s>    NMSA 1953]</s> <u>Chapter 28, Article 13 NMSA 1978</u> may be cited as
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0020|     the "Veterans' Service Act"."
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0021|          Section 2.  [<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>]  PURPOSE.--Because the
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0022|     federal veterans' administration has no plans to establish or
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0023|     expand national cemeteries in New Mexico, and it is evident
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0024|     that space in the Santa Fe national cemetery will be depleted
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0025|     after the year 2000, the legislature recognizes the state's
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0001|     obligation to find a suitable alternative for the respectful
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0002|     interment of its veterans and the need to find land for the
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0003|     establishment of a veterans' cemetery.  Parcels of state land
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0004|     have been identified as possible areas for a future veterans'
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0005|     cemetery, but studies need to be conducted to assess their
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0006|     appropriateness and the feasibility of such a project.  If the
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0007|     state donates land for the purpose of building a veterans'
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0008|     cemetery, the federal veterans' administration has a state
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0009|     cemetery grants program through which the state could receive
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0010|     financial and maintenance assistance for the building and
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0011|     upkeep of the projected veterans' cemetery.
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0012|          Section 3.  A new section of the Veterans' Service Act is
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0013|     enacted to read:
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0014|          "[<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>]  ADDITIONAL POWERS--STATE VETERANS'
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0015|     CEMETERY FUND CREATED.--The New Mexico veterans' service
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0016|     commission shall have general control over the collection and
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0017|     disbursement of all money collected or received pursuant to
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0018|     state law for the purpose of the formation of a state veterans'
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0019|     cemetery.  There is created in the state treasury the "state
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0020|     veterans' cemetery fund".  All money collected or received by
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0021|     the New Mexico veterans' service commission for purposes of
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0022|     establishing a state veterans' cemetery shall be deposited in
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0023|     the fund and is appropriated to the New Mexico veterans'
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0024|     service commission.  Money appropriated to the fund shall not
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0025|     revert to the general fund.  The fund shall include all income
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0001|     from the investment of the fund."
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0002|          Section 4.  APPROPRIATION.--Fifty thousand dollars
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0003|     ($50,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the state
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0004|     veterans' cemetery fund for expenditure in fiscal year 1998 for
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0005|     the purpose of hiring necessary professionals to conduct a
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0006|     study of parcels of state land in Rio Rancho in Sandoval county
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0007|     and other available state lands and to assess their suitability
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0008|     for a state veterans' cemetery.  Any unexpended or unencumbered
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0009|     balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 1998 shall not
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0010|     revert to the general fund.
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0011|                              
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