A. The "New Mexico state veterans' home" located near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, is declared to be a state home for veterans of service in the armed forces of the United States and their qualifying spouses, surviving spouses and gold star parents.

B. The "Fort Bayard medical center veterans' unit", a separate and distinct unit of the Fort Bayard medical center, located near Silver City, New Mexico, is declared to be a state home for veterans of service in the armed forces of the United States.

C. There is created the "New Mexico veterans' home advisory board". The advisory board shall consist of nine members as follows:

(1) the secretary of health or the secretary's designee;

(2) the secretary of veterans' services or the secretary's designee;

(3) the secretary of aging and long-term services or the secretary's designee;

(4) the administrator of a private nursing home;

(5) a registered health care professional who is employed by a public or private nursing home;

(6) the state commander of the department of New Mexico veterans of foreign wars or the department commander's designee;

(7) the department commander of the American legion or the department commander's designee;

(8) the state commander of disabled American veterans or the state commander's designee; and

(9) a member of any other congressionally recognized veteran service organization.

D. The governor shall appoint the members designated in Paragraphs (4), (5) and (9) of Subsection C of this section, and their terms shall be for three years each.

E. The New Mexico state veterans' home shall be under the control and oversight of the department of health.

F. The New Mexico veterans' home advisory board shall provide advice to the secretaries of veterans' services and health and the administrators of the New Mexico state veterans' home and the Fort Bayard medical center regarding veterans' services.

History: 1953 Comp., § 74-7-1, enacted by Laws 1974 (S.S.), ch. 2, § 1; 1983, ch. 329, § 1; 1986, ch. 103, § 1; 1987, ch. 133, § 1; 1991, ch. 24, § 1; 1993, ch. 7, § 1; 2001, ch. 40, § 1; 2004, ch. 19, § 25; 2017, ch. 84, § 8; 2019, ch. 146, § 3.

The 2019 amendment, effective July 1, 2019, added the secretary of veterans' services or the secretary's designee to the New Mexico veterans' home advisory board", and provided that the New Mexico state veterans' home shall be under the control and oversight of the department of health; in Subsection C, deleted former Paragraph C(2) and added a new Paragraph C(2); and in Subsection E, after "under the control", added "and oversight", after "of the", deleted "veterans' services", and after "department", added "of health".

The 2017 amendment, effective July 1, 2017, provided that the New Mexico state veterans' home is for qualifying spouses, surviving spouses and gold star parents of veterans of service in the armed forces of the United States, and made changes to the composition of the New Mexico home advisory board; in Subsection A, after "United States", added "and their qualifying spouses, surviving spouses and gold star parents"; in Subsection C, in the introductory language, after "veterans'", added "home", in Paragraph C(1), after "secretary of", deleted "veterans' services" and added "health", and after "or", deleted "his" and added "the secretary's", in Paragraph C(2), after "director of the", deleted "state benefits" and added "health care coordination", in Paragraph C(3), deleted "a veteran of World War II" and added the remainder of the paragraph, in Paragraph C(5), after "registered", deleted "nurse" and added "health care professional", in Paragraph C(6), deleted "a veteran of the Korean conflict" and added the remainder of the paragraph, in Paragraph C(7), after the paragraph designation, deleted "a veteran of the Vietnam conflict" and added the remainder of the paragraph, in Paragraph C(8), deleted "a veteran of the Gulf War" and added the remainder of the paragraph, and in Paragraph C(9), deleted "veteran of the Iraqi Freedom conflict" and added the remainder of the paragraph; in Subsection D, after "Paragraphs", deleted "(3) through" and added "(4), (5) and"; in Subsection E, after "control of the", added "veterans' services", and after "department", deleted "of health"; and in Subsection F, after the first occurrence of "veterans'", added "home", and after "advice to the", deleted "secretary of" and added "secretaries of veterans' services".

The 2004 amendment, effective May 19, 2004, in Subsection C, changed "chairman of the New Mexico veterans' service commission" to "secretary of veterans' services" and added new Paragraphs (8) and (9); and in Subsection D, provided for the appointment of the two new members of the New Mexico veterans' advisory board.

The 2001 amendment, effective June 15, 2001, substituted "Veterans' home" for "Veterans' center" in the section heading; substituted "New Mexico state veterans' home" for "New Mexico veterans' center" throughout the section; and inserted "New Mexico" preceding "veterans" in Paragraph C(1).

The 1993 amendment, effective June 18, 1993, substituted " 'New Mexico veterans' center' located near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico" for " 'Truth or Consequences veterans' center' located near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, hereinafter referred to as the 'center' " in Subsection A; added current Subsection B; redesignated former Subsections B through D as current Subsections C through E; in current Subsection C, substituted "'New Mexico veterans' advisory board'" for "'advisory board of the Truth or Consequences veterans' center'", added "or his designee" at the end of Paragraph (1), substituted "a veteran of World War II" for "the administrator of Fort Bayard medical center" in Paragraph (3), inserted "of the Korean conflict" in Paragraph (6), and added Paragraph (7); in Subsection E, substituted "department of health" for "health and environment department"; added Subsection F; and made minor stylistic changes.

The 1991 amendment, effective June 14, 1991, substituted "a veteran" for "the director of the Albuquerque veterans' administration medical center" in Paragraph (6) of Subsection B; and, in Subsection C, inserted "and (6)" and made a related stylistic change.