Signed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the Community Governance Attorney and Conditional Tuition Waiver Program in New Mexico.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the creation of the Community Governance Attorney and Conditional Tuition Waiver Program (Sec. 1(A)).

• Requires the program to be administered by the University of New Mexico School of Law and offered to eligible final-year law students who receive tuition assistance in exchange for providing legal services after graduation (Sec. 1(E), (F)).

• Limits program contracts to the University of New Mexico, local governments, state agencies, or nonprofit organizations to ensure that the attorneys in the program serve in public-interest legal roles that benefit low-income and underserved residents (Sec. 2(D)).

• Defines repayment terms for participants who do not fulfill the service obligations, including interest rates of 7% or 18% and a maximum 10-year repayment period (Sec. 1(F)).

• Authorizes 50% loan forgiveness for each year if the participant is employed in full-time service as a community governance attorney (Sec. 1(G)).

• Restructures the Community Governance Attorney Commission to include members with experience in acequia and land grant governance, and a resident of a colonia (Sec. 2(A)).

Full Bill Text