0001|                       SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 36
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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|                          ROMAN M. MEAS III
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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|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
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0011|     REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATURE TO CONSIDER FUNDING A
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0012|     URANIUM WORKERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM LOCATED IN SHIPROCK, NEW
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0013|     MEXICO.
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0014|     
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0015|          WHEREAS, in 1990, the United States congress passed the
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0016|     Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to provide financial
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0017|     compensation to uranium miners and their families, and
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0018|     compensation to those individuals who lived downwind of the
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0019|     above-ground nuclear tests in Nevada in the 1950s and 1960s;
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0020|     and 
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0021|          WHEREAS, the intent of the Radiation Exposure Compensation
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0022|     Act is to compensate those individuals who were used as human
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0023|     experiments by the United States government; and
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0024|          WHEREAS, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act also
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0025|     provides compensation to individuals or their families who
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0001|     worked in uranium mines, many of which were located on the
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0002|     lands of the Navajo Nation; and
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0003|          WHEREAS, the uranium miners and their families who seek
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0004|     compensation from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
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0005|     worked in very poor conditions that were seriously damaging to
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0006|     their health; and 
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0007|          WHEREAS, advocates for the uranium miners and their
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0008|     families have been working with the department of justice, the
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0009|     agency that administers the compensation program, and the
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0010|     Clinton administration to amend the Radiation Exposure
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0011|     Compensation Act to ensure that deserving uranium miners and
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0012|     their families receive compensation and to lessen cumbersome
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0013|     and unreasonable restrictions on people trying to prove their
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0014|     eligibility under that act; and
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0015|          WHEREAS, a huge injustice has been committed upon many
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0016|     uranium miners and their families, fair and just compensation
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0017|     from the federal government is duly deserved; and   
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0018|          WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of state and federal
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0019|     government to assist uranium miners and their families in
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0020|     receiving their due and just compensation under the Radiation
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0021|     Exposure Compensation Act in a timely and efficient manner; 
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0022|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
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0023|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that it consider funding a uranium workers
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0024|     assistance program located in Shiprock, New Mexico to help
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0025|     deserving uranium miners and their families seek just and fair
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0001|     compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act; and
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0002|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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0003|     transmitted to the speaker of the house of representatives and
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0004|     the president pro tempore of the senate.
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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|                      FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
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0010|                        FIRST SESSION, 1997
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0011|   
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0012|   
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0013|                                                  March 10, 1997
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0014|   
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0015|   Mr. President:
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0016|   
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0017|       Your CONSERVATION COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred
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0018|   
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0019|                      SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 36
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0020|   
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0021|   has had it under consideration and reports same with
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0022|   recommendation that it DO PASS.
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0023|   
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0024|                                Respectfully submitted,
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0025|   
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0001|   
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0002|   
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0003|                                
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0004|   __________________________________
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0005|                                Michael S. Sanchez, Chairman 
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0006|   
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0007|   
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0008|   
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0009|   Adopted_______________________   Not
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0010|   Adopted_______________________
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0011|             (Chief Clerk)                          (Chief Clerk)
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0012|   
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0013|   
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0014|   
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0015|                     Date ________________________
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0016|   
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0017|   
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0018|   The roll call vote was <u> 7 </u> For <u> 0 </u> Against
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0019|           Yes:    7
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0020|           No:     None
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0021|                Excused:     Davis, Kysar, Payne
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0022|           Absent: None
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0023|   
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0024|   
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0025|   
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0001|   SJ036C01
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