SB 104 — REMOVAL OF WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEMBERS

SENATEAN BILLACT 104RELATING 57THTO LEGISLATUREPUBLIC -STATEOFNEWMEXICO-OFFICIALS; SECOND SESSION , 2026 INTRODUCED BY Peter Wirth and Pete Campos and Nathan P.

Small and Matthew McQueen and Crystal Brantley 7 9 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS;

e8 t 17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

w l n d 18 SECTION 1.

That version of Section 17-1-2 NMSA 1978 = = 19 a l (being Laws 1921, Chapter 35, Section 2, as amended) that is to i a e r 20 become effective January 1, 2027 is amended to read:

a t m m 21 "17-1-2.

STATE WILDLIFE COMMISSION--APPOINTMENT--TERM.--COMMISSION--APPOINTMENT-- dTERM.-- r e 22 A.

There is created a "state wildlife commission" c e s k 23 of seven voting members, all of whom shall possess knowledge of e a n b 24 wildlife, hunting and fishing and be New Mexico residents.

The u [ governor shall appoint the members of the commission with the .232319.3 advice and consent of the senate from a list of qualified nominees submitted to the governor by the state wildlife commission nominating committee.

Three at-large members of the commission shall hold positions one, two and three, with no more than one SB 104 Page 1 member residing in any one county and with no more than two members affiliated with the same political party;

e t 17 (1) position four, a rancher or farmer who w l n d 18 actively works at growing and selling livestock or crops from a = = 19 a l ranch or farm where at least two big game species, as defined i a e r 20 by and for which hunting is licensed by the department, are a t m m 21 frequently present;

d r e 22 (2) position five, a conservationist who for c e s k 23 the previous four years has been an employee, a member of the e a n b 24 board or a member of an established advisory committee of a u [ nonprofit wildlife or habitat conservation organization, the .232319.3 - 2 - primary focus of which is not game species;

and (4) position seven, a scientist who holds at least a master's degree in wildlife biology, conservation biology, fisheries science or management, wildlife science or SB 104 Page 2 management or a comparable wildlife field.

Except for the initial appointments as provided in [Section 12 of this 2025 act] Laws 2025, Chapter 9, Section 12, the term of office for each member of the commission shall be six years.

A partial term shall be counted as one full term, unless the partial term is less than one full e t 17 year.

w l n d 18 F.

When a commissioner dies, resigns or no longer = = 19 a l meets the qualifications required for the commissioner's i a e r 20 [original] appointment or misses three consecutive meetings, a t m m 21 that position on the commission becomes vacant.

The governor d r e 22 shall appoint a successor for the remainder of the term from a c e s k 23 list of qualified nominees submitted to the governor by the e a n b 24 state wildlife commission nominating committee.

u [ G.

Except when the position of commissioner becomes .232319.3 - 3 - vacant pursuant to Subsection F of this section, a commissioner shall not be removed except for incompetence, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.

The supreme court is given exclusive original jurisdiction over proceedings to remove commissioners, and its decision in connection with such SB 104 Page 3 matters shall be final.

provided that a person who changed party affiliation for the purpose of voting in a primary election pursuant to Section 1-4-5.7 NMSA 1978 and then changed party affiliation back to the status of that person's party affiliation immediately prior to the change within ninety e t 17 days shall not be considered to have changed party affiliation w l n d 18 for the purposes of this subsection.

= = 19 a l I.

The following persons shall serve as advisory, i a e r 20 nonvoting members of the commission:

a t m m 21 (1) the director of the New Mexico outdoor d r e 22 recreation division of the economic development department or c e s k 23 the director's designee;

e a n b 24 (2) the director of the New Mexico department u [ of agriculture or the director's designee;

.232319.3 - 4 - (3) the commissioner of public lands or the commissioner's designee;

-SB 5104 -Page 94 1125 13 15 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 [ .232319.3