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SPONSOR: |
Nunez |
DATE TYPED: |
|
HB |
96 |
||
SHORT TITLE: |
NMSU Water Management Research |
SB |
|
||||
|
ANALYST: |
Williams |
|||||
APPROPRIATION
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
||
FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
|
|
$330.0 |
|
|
Recurring
|
General
Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to SB 66, HB 97
Duplicate of SB 67
LFC
Files
Commission
on Higher Education (CHE)
New
Mexico State University, Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI)
Office
of the State Engineer (OSE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
House Bill 96
appropriates $330.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico
State University for research on water conservation, planning and management.
Significant
Issues
CHE notes NMSU submitted an expansion request of
$330.0 for new water initiatives in addition to the request of $397.4 for current
operations. The water initiatives
request was ranked by NMSU as #11 out of 13 research and public service
requests submitted to CHE. CHE notes its
funding recommendation included $300.0 for water initiatives at WRRI.
This is a Water and Natural Resources
Committee-sponsored bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of
$330.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining
at the end of FY 04 shall revert to the general fund.
The LFC budget
recommendation for WRRI is $349.2, down five percent from FY 03.
CHE notes the
potential for the use of indirect cost revenues as an alternative funding
source.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
OSE notes the ongoing
drought has emphasized need for water planning and management.
OSE further notes WRRI
should cooperate with the water and conservation section of that office because
the United States Bureau of Reclamation has reduced funding for the Water Use
Conservation Bureau. OSE notes
additional funding for the Water Use Conservation Bureau is needed.
CHE notes four potential performance measures: