HM 33 — RURAL OPPORTUNITY INTERIM COMMITTEE

HOUSE MEMORIAL 33 55TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEWMEXICO - FIRST SESSION 2021 INTRODUCED BY Roger Montoya and Gail Armstrong 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO CREATE A LEGISLATIVE INTERIM RURAL OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE.

145 WHEREAS, vast disparities continue to exist between rural and urban communities in New Mexico;

and WHEREAS, a coordinated, comprehensive and bipartisan e t 17 effort is needed to address these disparities and improve the w l n d 18 quality of life for all rural New Mexicans;

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic provided i a e r 20 evidence that rural communities suffer disproportionately due a t m m 21 to a lack of basic services, such as running water, wastewater d r e 22 treatment services, electricity, health care and broadband c e s k 23 internet;

and e a n b 24 WHEREAS, input from rural frontiers, communities and u [ Native American communities is necessary to identify barriers .220851.1 to economic and educational opportunities in rural communities and to reduce or eliminate those barriers;

HM 33 Page 1 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to create a legislative interim rural opportunity committee;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislative interim rural opportunity committee be composed of legislators from each house so as to give equitable representation from rural areas e t 17 in each quadrant of the state and representation from the w l n d 18 membership of every other relevant interim committee;

and = = 19 a l BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee be requested to i a e r 20 review issues affecting rural areas of the state;

identify a t m m 21 barriers to economic and educational opportunities in rural d r e 22 areas of the state and propose policies to reduce or eliminate c e s k 23 those barriers;

assess all potential funding sources and e a n b 24 opportunities for investment in infrastructure, economic u [ development, education and health care in rural areas of the .220851.1 - 2 - state;

propose legislation to maximize public and private investments in HM 33 Page 2 rural communities and to foster the health and well-being of all residents of rural areas of the state;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee be requested to e t 17 make a report of its findings and recommendations available to w l n d 18 the New Mexico legislative council on or before December 15 = = 19 a l preceding each legislative session for the consideration of i a e r 20 each session of the legislature;

and a t m m 21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee be staffed by d r e 22 the legislative council service with assistance from the c e s k 23 legislative finance committee;

and e a n b 24 BE IF FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be u [ transmitted to the speaker of the house of representatives, the .220851.1 - 3 - president pro tempore of the senate and the directors of the legislative council service and the legislative finance committee.

-HM 433 -Page 63 825 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 [ .220851.1