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SPONSOR: | Stell | DATE TYPED: | 01/30/01 | HB | 201 | ||
SHORT TITLE: | NMSU Water Research & Conservation | SB | |||||
ANALYST: | Gilbert |
Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
FY01 | FY02 | FY01 | FY02 | ||
$ 1,538.8 | Recurring | GF |
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates Senate Bill 79
Relates to House Bill 116 and Senate Bill 91
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Commission for Higher Education (CHE)
CHE Files - Special Funding Requests Submitted by NMSU
New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 201 appropriates $1,538.8 to New Mexico State University (NMSU) for various water related projects. The appropriation is to be distributed as follows: $600.0 to the Water Resources Research Institute for conducting aquatic species research; $138.2 to the Agriculture Experiment Station for water use education and research programs, $300.6 to the Cooperative Extension Service for water use education and research programs, and $500.0 to New Mexico soil and Water Conservation Districts for watershed management and restoration project technical and financial incentives to landowners.
Significant Issues
According to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), many current water research, education, and outreach activities are funded with short-term, project specific grants. Appropriations from this bill will enable long term funding of projects which are necessary to ensure prudent water resources management in New Mexico.
Institutions were asked to provide the CHE with an overall priority listing of all new and expansion research and public service project requests. The NMSU Board of Regents ranked the water research projects as a high priority in the institution programs category.
The CHE recommended funding the Water Resources Research Institute project at $300.0, but does not recommend funding the $1238.8 balance requested in this bill.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
The Water Resources Research Institute is scheduled for evaluation using the CHE's evaluation process during 2002. The evaluation process was developed in conjunction with DFA and the LFC to be responsive to the Accountability in Government Act.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $1,538.8 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY02 shall revert to the general fund.
CONFLICT/DUPLICATION/COMPANIONSHIP/RELATIONSHIP
House Bill 201 duplicates Senate Bill 79.
This bill is also related to Senate Bill 91 and House Bill 116. These bills all appropriate funds to soil and water conservation districts and are administered/distributed by NMSU and the NMDA.
AMENDMENTS
The CHE suggests the following language for all new recurring higher education programs and expansion of current programs (assuming that funding will continue beyond 2001-2002):
"The institution receiving the appropriation in this bill shall submit a program evaluation to the Legislative Finance Committee and the Commission on Higher Education by August 2, 2004 detailing the benefits to the State of New Mexico from having this program implemented for a three-year period."
LG/prr:ar