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(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Human Services Department (HSD)

Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 482 appropriates one million fifty-thousand dollars ($1,050,000) from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant to New Mexico State University for cooperative extension services. The appropriation includes:

• •$800,000 for a statewide program to teach marriage skills and marriage maintenance skills, including the meaning and benefit of marriage, communication skills, conflict resolution skills, the economic and social impacts of divorce and the effects of divorce on children to participants in the TANF program; and
• •$250,000 to develop and implement a statewide media campaign to laud the benefits of marriage.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The Human Services Department notes that the proposed program could qualify as "life skills training" and count toward meeting their work participation requirements.

Other potential performance measures include: the number of persons learning marriage skills and marriage maintenance skills. Marriage and divorce rates compared to some appropriate benchmark.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $1,050.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families block grant. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY02 reverts to the human services department for TANF program funding.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The Human Service Department notes that it would be efficient to use the TANF works' program contractors to provide these services, ensuring better coordination of participants activities.

The Commission on Higher Education suggests an amendment:

"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."

BT/ar