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

SPONSOR:	Rodella		DATE TYPED:	02/07/02		HB	325/aHAGC
SHORT TITLE:		Chimayo Chili Agricultural Business				SB
					ANALYST:		Woodlee

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY02	FY03	FY02	FY03
	$100.0			Recurring	General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to House Bill 155

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Economic Development Department

SUMMARY

Synopsis of HAGC Amendment

The House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee amendment to House Bill 325 adds a provision that a report on the benefits and results of the appropriation be made to the 2004 Legislature.

Synopsis of Original Bill

House Bill 325 appropriates $100.0 from the general fund to the Economic Development Department to contract with a nonprofit farmers’ market organization administratively based in Santa Fe county to create and implement an economic development plan to preserve, conserve, heirloom and seed bank the Chimayo chile strain.

Significant Issues

Organizations such as these nonprofits serve as a stimulus for rural economic development and provide a direct retail market for small-scale growers in their areas. Such an economic development plan is a good opportunity for citizens to have a resource and direction for increasing wealth and job opportunities in the traditional agricultural sector. This would directly benefit the Chimayo region and would assist in the development of the traditional New Mexican Chimayo chile agricultural industry.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $100.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2003 shall revert to the general fund.

RELATIONSHIP

House Bill 325 relates to House Bill 155 which appropriates $250.0 to create and implement an economic development plan that focuses on creating agricultural jobs in a regional economy, preserve a traditional New Mexican agricultural way of life, provide food for the poor, expand the market for state-grown agricultural products, create revenue circulation within the state, bridge the gap between urban and rural communities and leverage state funding through federal and private resources.

MW/njw