NOTE:  As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended only for use by the standing finance committees of the legislature.  The Legislative Finance Committee does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this report when used for other purposes.

 

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

 

 

 

SPONSOR:

Nunez

 

DATE TYPED:

02/09/03

 

HB

97

 

SHORT TITLE:

Water Management Research and Education

 

SB

 

 

 

ANALYST:

Williams

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

$300.0

 

 

Recurring

General Fund

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

Duplicates SB 66

 

Relates to HB 96, SB 67

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

Office of State Engineer (OSE)

New Mexico State University (NMSU)

Environment Department

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

House Bill 97 appropriates $300.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents at New Mexico State University for the purpose of conducting water management research and education programs.  The funding is equally split between the Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) and the Cooperative Extension Service (CES).

 

     Significant Issues

 

The NMSU analysis notes funding would enhance current funding and would be used for water use education and research programs including educating the public on water issues, such as agricultural consumptive use, depletion rates, hydrologic connections between surface and ground water, risks of particular land use to ground and domestic water systems.

 

CHE notes NMSU submitted an expansion request of $300.0 in addition to its request for the current operations of the AES and CES.  The expansion request was ranked by NMSU as #11 out of 13 research and public services requests submitted to CHE.  CHE notes its funding recommendation included $200.0 for water issues at AES and CES.

 

This is a Water and Natural Resources Committee-sponsored bill.

 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

The appropriation of $300.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.  Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 2004 shall revert to the general fund. 

 

The LFC budget recommendation for AES is $11,413.9, flat compared to FY03, and for CES is $9,135.0, flat compared to FY03.

 

ALTERNATIVES

 

CHE notes the potential for the use of indirect cost revenues as an alternative funding source.

 

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

 

1.  What performance measures could be developed to determine the effectiveness of this program ?

 

AW/prr