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:

Irwin

 

DATE TYPED:

2/5/03

 

HB

304

 

SHORT TITLE:

WNMU Child Development Center

 

SB

 

 

 

ANALYST:

L. Baca

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

$250.0

 

 

Recurring

GF

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

Relates to Appropriation for Western New Mexico University in the General Appropriation Act

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

Responses Received From

 

Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

House Bill 304 appropriates $250.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico for expenditure in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 for the purpose of funding the child development center program at WNMU.

 

     Significant Issues

 

HB 304 is intended to address recurring childcare needs in Grant County created by the dire economic circumstances in Grant County.

 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

The appropriation of $250.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund and may be expended in fiscal years 2004 and 2005.  Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2005 shall revert to the general fund.

 

 

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

 

According to the CHE, a request for $250,000 was not included in the RPSP expansion proposal to the WNMU Board of Regents, and thus was not included in the list of priority projects submitted by WNMU to the Commission on Higher Education for review.

 

The CHE further reports a that proposal for expansion of the WNMU “Childcare Center” in the amount of $26,300 was one of two proposals ranked 1 out of 7 research and public service project expansion items submitted to the CHE by WNMU.  This program was not recommended for expansion by the CHE.  The request for $26,300 was to reinstate the funds reduced in the 2002 General Appropriation Act.

 

AMENDMENT

 

The CHE suggests the following language for all new recurring higher education programs and expansion of current programs (assuming that funding will continue beyond 2002-2003):

 

“The institution receiving the appropriation in this bill submit a program evaluation to the Legislative Finance Committee and the Commission on higher Education by August 2005 detailing the benefits to the State of New Mexico from having implemented this program over a three period.”

 

LRB/njw :yr