0001|                           SENATE BILL 1058
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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|                             STUART INGLE
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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 COURTS; CLARIFYING THE DUTIES OF CHILD SUPPORT
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0012|     HEARING OFFICERS; AMENDING A SECTION OF THE NMSA 1978.
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0013|     
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0014|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0015|          Section 1.  Section 40-4B-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1988,
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0016|     Chapter 127, Section 4, as amended) is amended to read:
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0017|          "40-4B-4.  CHILD SUPPORT HEARING OFFICERS--APPOINTMENT--
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0018|     TERMS--QUALIFICATIONS--COMPENSATION.--
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0019|               A.  Child support hearing officers shall be
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0020|     appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the judges of the
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0021|     judicial districts determined pursuant to Subsection D of this
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0022|     section.  Each hearing officer shall be selected by a majority
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0023|     of the district court judges in the judicial district to which
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0024|     he is assigned.  The child support hearing officers shall be
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0025|     paid pursuant to a cooperative agreement between the human
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0001|     services department and the judicial districts.
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0002|               B.  Child support hearing officers shall be lawyers
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0003|     who are licensed to practice law in this state and who have a
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0004|     minimum of five years experience in the practice of law, with
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0005|     at least twenty percent of that practice having been in family
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0006|     law or domestic relations matters.  Child support hearing
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0007|     officers  shall devote full time to their duties <s>[under the
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<s></s>0008| <s>    Child Support Hearing Officer Act]</s> <u>as judicial employees</u> and
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0009|     shall not engage in the private practice of law or in any
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0010|     employment, occupation or business interfering with or
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0011|     inconsistent with the discharge of their duties <s>[as a full-
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<s></s>0012| <s>    time child support hearing officer]</s>.
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0013|               C.  A child support hearing officer is required to
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0014|     conform to Canons 21-100 through 21-500 and 21-700 of the Code
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0015|     of Judicial Conduct as adopted by the supreme court.  Violation
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0016|     of any such canon shall be grounds for dismissal of any child
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0017|     support hearing officer.  Child support hearing officers shall
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0018|     be employees of the judicial branch of government and shall not
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0019|     be subject to the Personnel Act.  Their compensation shall be
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0020|     set by the judges who appoint them, but such compensation shall
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0021|     not exceed eighty percent of the current salary for district
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0022|     court judges.
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0023|               D.  Child support hearing officers shall serve in
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0024|     such judicial districts as the secretary deems appropriate
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0025|     considering the case loads and case needs of the state's Title
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0001|     IV D program."
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0002|       
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0003|   
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0004|                      FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
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0005|                        FIRST SESSION, 1997
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0006|   
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0007|   
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0008|                                                   March 5, 1997
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0009|   
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0010|   Mr. President:
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0011|   
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0012|       Your JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred
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0013|   
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0014|                          SENATE BILL 1058
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0015|   
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0016|   has had it under consideration and reports same with
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0017|   recommendation that it DO PASS.
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0018|   
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0019|                                Respectfully submitted,
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0020|   
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0021|   
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0022|   
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0023|                                
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0024|   __________________________________
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0025|                                Fernando R. Macias, Chairman 
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0001|   
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0002|   
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0003|   
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0004|   Adopted_______________________   Not
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0005|   Adopted_______________________
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0006|             (Chief Clerk)                          (Chief Clerk)
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0007|   
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0008|   
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0009|   
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0010|                     Date ________________________
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0011|   
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0012|   
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0013|   The roll call vote was <u> 4 </u> For <u> 2 </u> Against
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0014|           Yes:    4
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0015|           No:     Lopez
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0016|                Excused:     Sanchez, Tsosie
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0017|           Absent: None
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0018|   
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0019|   
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0020|   S1058JU1
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0021|                          State of New Mexico
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0022|                      House of Representatives
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0023|   
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0024|                      FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
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0025|                        FIRST SESSION, 1997
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0001|   
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0002|   
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0003|                                                  March 15, 1997
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0004|   
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0005|   
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0006|   Mr. Speaker:
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0007|   
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0008|       Your JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred
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0009|   
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0010|                       SENATE BILL 1058
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0011|                               
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0012|   has had it under consideration and reports same with
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0013|   recommendation that it DO PASS.
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0014|   
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0015|                            Respectfully submitted,
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0016|   
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0017|   
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0018|   
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0019|                            <u>                                 
</u>    |
<u></u>0020| <u>                           </u>                        Thomas P. Foy, Chairman
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0021|   
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0022|   
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0023|   Adopted <u>                    </u>   Not Adopted <u>                     
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<u></u>0024| <u>  </u>
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0025|           (Chief Clerk)                      (Chief Clerk)
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0001|   
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0002|                        Date <u>            </u>
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0003|   
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0004|   The roll call vote was<u> 8 </u> For<u> 0 </u> Against
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0005|   Yes:         8
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0006|                Excused:     King, Luna, Mallory, Rios, Sanchez
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0007|           Absent: None
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0008|   
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0009|   
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0010|   G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\S1058
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