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SPONSOR: |
Fidel |
DATE TYPED: |
2/14/03 |
HB |
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SHORT TITLE: |
NM Tech Geophysical Research Center |
SB |
490 |
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ANALYST: |
L. Baca |
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APPROPRIATION
|
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
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FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
|
|
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NFI |
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|
|
|
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to: HB 251 & SB 177 Waste Management
Education & Research (identical bills)
SB 452, NM Tech Water Efficiency
Technology Study
Relates
to Appropriation for the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in the
General Appropriation Act
Responses
Received From
Commission
on Higher Education (CHE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
Senate Bill 490
creates statutory authorization for the existing Geophysical Research Center
(GRC) at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMIMT).
Significant
Issues
The GRC program was established in 1965 and is
currently one of the 117 research and public service programs (RPSP) monitored by the CHE. The program, according to the CHE, was
evaluated in 2000 and given a Tier I rating, exceeds expectations. Since its inception, the program has been
funded as a RPSP through NMIMT’s appropriation.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The bill contains no
appropriation, but, according to the CHE analysis, the legislation could have
fiscal ramifications whenever funding reductions are made during the
legislative (appropriations) process. Separate statutes authorize some of these RPSPs
but most of these projects are non-statutory and are only authorized to
receive State appropriations through the annual appropriations act. The RPSPs, which are authorized in separate
statutes, are not subject to broad-based funding reductions, which make a
distinction between statutory and non-statutory projects.
Statutory projects, continues the CHE analysis,
could still be subjected to funding reductions but the reduction criteria would
have to be done on an individual project basis, or on a broader basis that
included all projects, or based on some other criteria for
distinguishing among the 117 existing RPSP projects.
Authorizing
Research and Public Service Projects (RPSPs) by separate statutes in order to
avoid funding reductions that are based on a distinction between statutory and
non-statutory programs could result in requests for statutory authorization
from numerous other non-statutory programs.
1.
Why is it desirable or necessary to make the GRC
a statutory program?
2.
Is it reasonable to expect the legislature will
be receiving similar requests from other research and public service programs?
LRB/yr