The bill amends the Community Governance Attorney Act by transferring the responsibilities for publicizing and administering contracts related to the Community Governance Attorney and Conditional Tuition Waiver Program from the Higher Education Department to the University of New Mexico School of Law. It allows counties and municipalities with at least one designated colonia to hire community governance attorneys. The bill also establishes a commission composed of members with specific backgrounds, including representatives from acequias, land grant councils, and colonias infrastructure boards, to oversee the program and make recommendations.

Key changes include the university's new role in publicizing the program and the commission's composition, which now requires specific representation from community stakeholders. Additionally, the bill outlines the terms for repayment of tuition waivers and the conditions under which waivers can be forgiven based on employment as community governance attorneys. The effective date for these provisions is set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 21-21Q-3, 21-21Q-4
RD substitute: 21-21Q-3, 21-21Q-4