Section 67-15-3 - State highway department; enforcement and administration duties. - New Mexico Statutes

67-15-3. State highway department; enforcement and administration duties.

The state highway department shall:   

A.     establish within the department an office of highway litter control. Such office shall be charged with the administration and enforcement of the Clean Highways Act [67-15-1 NMSA 1978] and shall supervise designated personnel within each of the highway district offices who shall implement litter control programs within that district; and   

B.     institute through the office of highway litter control a continuous and aggressive litter control program on the roads and highways of this state which shall include:   

(1)     the hiring of special litter removal crews composed of unemployed, underemployed and young persons to regularly police litter from the roads and highways of this state and the rights-of-way of such roads and highways; provided, that in employing such persons the department shall give strong consideration to the unemployed and underemployed levels in each highway district;   

(2)     initiate and supervise litter removal and collection programs by civic groups, youth organizations and summer vacation students and to provide a method of reimbursement to such groups and persons based on the number of pounds of such litter removed from the roads and highways, and to assist such removal whenever possible by the use of available highway department vehicles;   

(3)     the design and installation of appropriate signs along the roads and highways urging the traveling public to observe proper litter control;   

(4)     the design and furnishing of litter control bags for the traveling public bearing a statewide litter symbol and a statement of the penalties provided by law for littering; such bags to be distributed at rest stops, ports of entry and other suitable places where the traveling public has access; and   

(5)     the providing of additional litter control receptacles at appropriate places along the roads and highways of this state and for the regular and periodic removal and collection of litter from such receptacles.