Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance

committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports

if they are used for other purposes.

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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Miera

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2-20-2007

HB HJM 31

SHORT TITLE Legislation Racial Impact Assessments

SB

ANALYST White

ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT (dollars in thousands)

FY07

FY08

FY09 3 Year

Total Cost

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

Total

$0.1

$0.1

$0.1

$0.1

Non-

Recurring General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Joint Memorial 31 requests the New Mexico Legislative Council, through the appropriate

committee of the legislature to study the feasibility of requiring a racial impact assessment of

certain health and mental health legislation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

Joint Memorial 31 has immediate fiscal implications involving the costs associated with putting

together a feasibility study. If this memorial passes than these costs would be incurred by the

Legislative Council Service and the appropriate committee of the legislature in fiscal years 2007

and 2008.

Furthermore, if this study leads to the adoption of racial impact assessments, then additional

substantial costs would be incurred in order to actually construct these racial impact assessments

for the legislature. These costs are indeterminate at this time, however would be incurred

beginning in fiscal year 2009 and continuing on indefinitely.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Statistics tell us that growing amounts of minority youth are without health insurance. Because

of the fact that New Mexico is a multi-cultural state racial impact assessments would attempt to

determine the potential for disparate outcomes for minorities caused by certain legislation.

House Joint Memorial 31 – Page

2

Despite the fact that only thirty-three percent of New Mexico children are white non-Hispanic,

an alarming fifteen percent are without health insurance. This number of uninsured is only two

percent lower than those of Hispanic children while Hispanic children make up eighteen percent

more of the state’s under eighteen population. Therefore if the intention of theses assessments is

to recognize “potential disparate outcomes" it would be more feasible to consider the impact on

all New Mexicans currently below the federal poverty line regardless of race.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

Additional administrative staff may need to be hired in order to conduct the feasibility survey. If

the policy is adopted additional staff will also be needed to compose the racial impact

assessments.

DAW/mt