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





SPONSOR: Cisneros DATE TYPED: 02/02/01 HB
SHORT TITLE: Taos Errors & Omissions Negotiation Expenses SB 243
ANALYST: Dotson


APPROPRIATION



Appropriation Contained
Estimated Additional Impact
Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY01 FY02 FY01 FY02
$ 60.0 Non-Recurring General



(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)



Relates to HB249 & SB57



SOURCES OF INFORMATION



Office of the State Engineer



SUMMARY



Synopsis of Bill



SB 243 appropriates $60,000 from the general fund to the Local Goverment Division (LED) of the Department of Finance and Administration for the purpose of negotiation expenses of errors and omission claims in Mutual Domestic Water Consumers' Associations' (MDWCA) water rights adjudications in Taos county.



Significant Issues



According to the State Engineer, it is unclear whether this appropriation is available to each MDWCA individually or collectively. The attorney handling the litigation involving the adjudication of MDWCA water rights represents all of the MDWCAs. As written, the bill makes each MDWCA eligible for funding without any direction to LGD as to how it should allocate the appropriation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS



The appropriation of $60.0 contained in this bill is a non-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



According to the State Engineer, this bill appears to duplicate some of the funding sought for this process in HB 249 and perhaps all of the funding sought in SB 57.



GC/prr/njw