New Mexico Statutes Chapter 12. Miscellaneous Public Affairs Matters § 12-11-2. Declaration of policy

The legislature declares that the possibility of an enemy attack of unprecedented destructiveness made possible by recent technological developments, and which may result in the death or inability to act on the part of a large number of the officers of the executive and judicial branches of state and local government, make it necessary to assure the continuity and effective operation of the executive and judicial offices of state and local government by providing for advance naming of officers to fill temporarily vacancies in certain offices, and that it is the legislative intent to provide that continuity in the Disaster Succession Act.