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

SPONSOR:	Beam		DATE TYPED:	03/15/03		HB	13/aSCONC
SHORT TITLE:		State Butterfly				SB
					ANALYST:		Gonzales

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY03	FY04	FY03	FY04
			Insignificant

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates HB430/aHENRC

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Office of Cultural Affairs

New Mexico Department of Agriculture

SUMMARY

Synopsis of SCONC Amendment

The Senate Conservation Committee amendment incorporates the intentions of House Bill 430 and designates the New Mexico whiptail lizard as the official reptile of New Mexico and the New Mexico spadefoot toad, as the official amphibian of New Mexico. The whiptail lizard is scientifically known as Cnemidophorus neomexicanus and the whiptail lizard is scientifically known as Spea multiplicata.

With this amendment, HB13 as amended, would duplicate House Bill 430 as amended.

Synopsis of Original Bill

House Bill 13 proposes to adopt the “Land of Enchantment” as the official nickname of New Mexico and the Sandia hairstreak as the official butterfly of New Mexico.

Significant Issues

Laws 1999, ch. 266, § 1, effective June 18, 1999, adding "state nickname" at the end of the section heading and adding Subsection L, adopting "The Land of Enchantment" as the official nickname of New Mexico, was approved on April 8, 1999. However, Laws 1999, ch. 271, § 1, effective June 18, 1999, adding "state question" to the end of the section heading, adding Subsection L, and making a minor stylistic change, was approved later on April 8, 1999. The section was set out as amended by Laws 1999, ch. 271, § 1. See 12-1-8 NMSA 1978.

New Mexico's state symbols include the official animal, cookie, flower, insect, grass, fish, fossil, bird, question, gem and vegetable, but do not currently include an official butterfly. By adding an official butterfly symbol, the beauty and diversity to the state's array of existing symbols would be enhanced.

Identifying an official butterfly would add credibility to New Mexico among professional entomologists and may encourage additional scientific research in the state.

The Office of Cultural Affairs notes the following: “While several states do have official state butterflies, New Mexico does not as yet have a butterfly within its healthy family of state symbols. There exist several rationales for naming an official state butterfly, such as benefiting tourism through publicity efforts, possible educational opportunities, and enhancing the awareness of the importance of butterflies within our ecosystem. These are all valid contributions. The Sandia Hairstreak has special characteristics meaningful to New Mexico. It is a New Mexico native, does not migrate, and remains in the environment year-round. Also significant – the Sandia Hairstreak has not been designated the official butterfly of any other state.”

FISCAL and ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

Any expected fiscal and administrative impact associated with updating the New Mexico Blue Book and other informational and promotional state publications is expected to be minimal.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

The Department of Agriculture states the scientific name Callophrys macfarlandi should be referenced to assure the identity of the Sandia hairstreak is maintained.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The 2002 legislature passed House Joint Memorial 1 recommending that New Mexico consider naming the Sandia Hairstreak the official state butterfly.

JMG/njw:yr