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| SPONSOR: | Pederson | DATE TYPED: | 02/05/00 | HB | 80 | ||
| SHORT TITLE: | Corinne Wolfe Children's Law Center | SB | |||||
| ANALYST: | Pacheco-Perez | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY00 | FY01 | FY00 | FY01 | ||
| $ 200.0 | Rec | GF | |||
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates/Conflicts with/Companion to/Relates to
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Commission on Higher Education (CHE)
Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
This bill appropriates $200.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico for the purpose of paying for the operating expenses of the Corinne Wolfe Children's Law Center which operates within the UNM School of Law. Funding would be used for staff as well as the training, technical assistance, research assistance and information dissemination in the areas of child abuse, child neglect and juvenile justice. These services shall be made available to persons participating in child abuse and neglect proceedings and the juvenile justice system including volunteers, attorneys and professionals not employed by the judicial branch of government.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $200.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY01 shall revert to the general fund.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
This bill would fund salaries and benefits for a director, a staff attorney and administrative support staff.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
According to the AOC, the Center resources will improve the knowledge and skills of attorneys, volunteers, children advocates, law enforcement officials, and social workers handling juvenile and children's cases. The Court Improvement Project Task Force of 1998 recommended the establishment of such a Center.
The CHE recommends that the following language be included for all new recurring higher education programs: "The institution receiving the special appropriation in this bill shall submit a program evaluation to the LFC and the CHE by August 1, 2003 detailing the benefits to the State from having this program implemented for a three-year period."
APP/njw