HB 431 — APPOINTMENT OF WATERSHED BOARDS

HOUSEAN BILLACT 431RELATING 57TO THCONSERVATION; LEGISLATUR- STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSIO, 2025 INTRODUCED BY Rebecca Dow and Gail Armstrong and Susan K.

Herrera 6 8 10 AN ACT RELATING TO CONSERVATION;

156 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 73-20-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1957, e t 17 Chapter 210, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:

w l n d 18 "73-20-2.

DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Watershed District = = 19 a l Act:

i a e r 20 A.

"directors" means directors of the watershed a t m m 21 districts;

[and] d r e 22 B.

"minority jurisdiction district" means a soil c e s k 23 and water conservation district that has within its e a n b 24 jurisdiction a minority of the land in a watershed district;

u [ and .229989.1 [B.] C.

"supervisors" means supervisors of soil and water conservation [district or] districts in which the watershed district is located." SECTION 2.

DIRECTORS--[ELECTION]DIRECTORS--APPOINTMENT.-- APPOINTMENT.-- A.

[AtA thewatershed nextdistrict regularshall localbe electiongoverned heldby pursuant to the Local Election Act after a watershedboard districtof isdirectors created,appointed by the board of supervisors offor the soil and water conservation district involvedin shallwhich cause an election to be held for the electionHB of431 aPage board1 ofwatershed directorsdistrict ofis thelocated. watershed district.

The board shall consist of five members.

The first board shall determine by lot from among its membership two members to serve terms of two years and three members to serve terms of four years.

Thereafter, as these initial terms expire, their replacements shall be elected for terms of four e t 17 years.

Vacancies occurring before the expiration of a term w l n d 18 shall be filled by the remaining members of the board for the = = 19 a l unexpired term.

Two or more vacancies occurring simultaneously i a e r 20 shall be filled by appointment by the board of supervisors.

a t m m 21 The board of directors shall, under the supervision of the d r e 22 board of supervisors, be the governing body of the watershed c e s k 23 district.] A watershed district shall be governed by a board of e a n b 24 directors appointed by the board of supervisors for the soil u [ and water conservation district in which the watershed district .229989.1 - 2 - is located.

[B.] C.

If the territory embraced within a watershed district lies within more than one soil and water conservation district, each [additionalminority soiljurisdiction and water conservation district having a minority of the land involved in the watershed shall be entitled to electappoint three additional e t 17 directors.

TheseWhen additionalappointing directorsthe afteradditional theirdirectors, electiona wboard lof nsupervisors d 18 shall determineappoint by lot one ofdirector their number to serve a term of = = 19 a l two years and two adirectors termto serve terms of four years.

Thereafter, their i a e r 20 successors shall be elected for terms of four years.

The a t m m 21 representatives of each of these minority districts shall fill d r e 22 vacancies in the district's membership for the unexpired term.] c e s k 23 minority jurisdiction district shall be entitled to appoint e a n b 24 three additional directors.

When appointing the additional u [ directors, a board of supervisors shall appoint one director to .229989.1 - 3 - serve a term of two years and two directors to serve terms of four years.

[C.] D.

The board of directors shall annually elect HB 431 Page 2 from its membership a chair, secretary and treasurer.

e t 17 [D.] E.

The board of directors shall prepare and w l n d 18 submit to the department of finance and administration such = = 19 a l reports as it may require from among those required to be i a e r 20 submitted by other political subdivisions.subdivisions." SECTION 3.

aEFFECTIVE tDATE.--The meffective mdate 21of [E.the provisions of this act is July 1, 2025.

EachHB person431 desiringPage to3 be25 a director of a d r e 22 watershed district shall file a nominating petition with the c e s k 23 proper filing office in accordance with the provisions of the e a n b 24 Local Election Act, signed by ten or more qualified electors.]" u [ SECTION 3.

EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the .229989.1 - 4 - provisions of this act is July 1, 2025.

- 5 - 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 e t 17 w l n d 18 = = 19 a l i a e r 20 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .229989.1