A. Submittal of a proposed compact or amendment occurs when the compact or amendment and the submittal document are received for the committee by the legislative council service.

B. After its receipt, the committee shall review the proposed compact or amendment in a timely manner but no later than forty-five days from receipt and shall:

(1) recommend approval of the proposed compact or amendment by submitting a joint resolution to approve the compact or amendment to the legislature; or

(2) by written transmittal document, propose specific modifications to the proposed compact or amendment and request the governor to resume negotiations with the tribe.

C. If the committee proposes specific modifications to the proposed compact or amendment, the governor or the governor's designated representative shall resume negotiations with the tribe within twenty days of receipt of the transmittal document unless within that time period either the governor or the tribe refuses to negotiate further, in which case the governor shall notify the committee immediately.

D. If negotiations are resumed pursuant to Subsection C of this section and a modified proposed compact or amendment is agreed to, the governor shall submit the modified proposed compact or amendment together with any additional analysis or recommendations to the committee. The approval process described in this section for the originally submitted proposed compact or amendment shall be followed for consideration of a proposed modified compact or a proposed modified amendment, except that the committee shall conduct its review in a timely manner but in not more than thirty days.

E. Within thirty days of being notified that further negotiations are refused, the committee shall meet to reconsider the proposed compact or amendment together with any changes agreed upon by the negotiating parties. The committee shall submit to the legislature the proposed compact or amendment and a joint resolution to approve the proposed compact or amendment with the committee's recommendation to approve it or disapprove it, or expressing no recommendation on the action that should be taken by the legislature.

F. The committee may return a proposed compact or amendment with suggested modifications to the governor and the tribe for renegotiation no more than three times. After the third submittal for renegotiation, the committee shall submit to the legislature the proposed compact or amendment and a joint resolution to approve the proposed compact or amendment with the committee's recommendation to approve it or disapprove it, or expressing no recommendation on the action that should be taken by the legislature.

G. If the legislature is in session when the committee makes its decision on the proposed compact or amendment, the committee shall prepare and introduce a joint resolution to approve the proposed compact or amendment without delay after reaching its decision. The joint resolution shall be accompanied by the committee's recommendation to approve or to disapprove or expressing no recommendation. A joint resolution may cover more than one compact or amendment if the terms of the compacts or amendments are identical except for the name of the tribe and the name of the person executing the compact on behalf of the tribe. If a majority in each house votes to adopt the joint resolution, the proposed compact or amendment is approved by the legislature, and the governor shall execute it on behalf of the state.

H. If the legislature is not in session when the recommendation of the committee is submitted, the committee shall proceed pursuant to the provisions of Subsection G of this section by no later than the second day of the next regular or special session of the legislature.

I. The legislature may only amend or modify the joint resolution submitted to it pursuant to the provisions of this section so as to correct technical errors in the text or format. Neither house may refer the joint resolution to a committee other than a committee of the whole in each house.

J. If a request for negotiation of a compact or amendment is made and the proposed compact or amendment is identical to a compact or amendment previously approved by the legislature except for the name of the compacting tribe and the names of the persons to execute the compact or amendment on behalf of the tribe and on behalf of the state, the governor shall approve and sign the compact or amendment on behalf of the state without submitting the compact for approval pursuant to the provisions of this section; provided that, with respect to a compact or amendment approved by the first session of the forty-eighth legislature, the request shall be received by the governor by no later than two hundred forty days following the date on which the compact or amendment was approved by the legislature, or, in the case of a request by a tribe that has not entered into a compact as of two hundred forty days following the date on which the compact or amendment was approved by the legislature, two hundred forty days following the date the tribe first executes the 2001 tribal gaming compact with the state. A compact or amendment signed by the governor pursuant to this subsection is deemed approved by the legislature.

History: Laws 1999, ch. 252, § 4; 2007, ch. 311, § 1; 2007, ch. 314, § 1.

The 2007 amendment, effective June 15, 2007, limited the time an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo may enter into the 2007 amendments to the 2001 tribal gaming compacts.

Laws 2007, ch. 311, § 1 and Laws 2007, ch. 314, § 1 enacted identical amendments to this section. The section was set out as amended by Laws 2007, ch. 314, § 1. See 12-1-8 NMSA 1978.