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





SPONSOR: Knauer DATE TYPED: 2/4/01 HB 392
SHORT TITLE: SFCC Allied Health Research & Public Service SB
ANALYST: Gilbert


APPROPRIATION



Appropriation Contained
Estimated Additional Impact
Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY01 FY02 FY01 FY02
$ 170.0 Recurring GF



(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)



Duplicates Senate Bill 291



SOURCES OF INFORMATION



LFC Files

State Department of Education (SDE)

New Mexico Commission for Higher Education (CHE)



SUMMARY



Synopsis of Bill



House Bill 392 appropriates $170.0 to the community college board of Santa Fe Community College to fund an allied health research and public service project.



Significant Issues



This bill requires Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) to partner with St. Vincent Hospital, the public schools, and the University of New Mexico to develop an allied health research and public service project to provide quality certification and associate degree programs for hospital health care workers.



This special project was not submitted to the Commission for Higher Education (CHE) for funding consideration, and the CHE does not recommend funding this program expansion.



According to the State Department of Education (SDE), there are currently numerous concurrent enrollment programs in the state that provide opportunities for students to receive college credit while in high school. This legislation could lead to development of a certificate and associate degree program for hospital health care workers.



FISCAL IMPLICATIONS



The appropriation of $170.0 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. SFCC development of a certificate and associate degree program for hospital health care workers would have a future fiscal impact on the general fund.



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/njw