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:

Coll

 

DATE TYPED:

 2/18/03

 

HB

801

 

SHORT TITLE:

UNM Wild Friends Program

 

SB

 

 

 

ANALYST:

L. Baca

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

$71.5

 

 

Recurring

GF

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

Identical to SB 207,UNM Wild Friends Program

 

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

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

LFC Files

 

Responses Received From

Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

House Bill 801 appropriates $71.5 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico (UNM) to increase the funding for the Wild Friends Program to $125.0.

 

     Significant Issues

 

A request for $71,500 was not included in the research and public service programs (RPSP) expansion proposal to the UNM Board of Regents, and thus was not included in the list of priority projects submitted by UNM to CHE for review. 

      

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

The appropriation of $71.5 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.  Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2004 shall revert to the general fund.

 

TECHNICAL ISSUES

 

The bill appropriates funding for the Wild Friends program.  However, the CHE “final recommendations” booklet lists the program as Wild Life Education.

 

AMENDMENTS

 

The CHE suggests adding the following language for all new recurring higher education programs (assuming that funding will continue beyond 2003-2004):

 

“A plan for a program evaluation, including specific program goals and criteria for assessing program effectiveness, shall be submitted to the Legislative Finance Committee and the Commission on Higher Education by October 1, 2004.  An assessment of the program will be completed prior to June 30, 2005, and submitted to the Legislative Finance Committee and the Commission on Higher Education

 

LRB/ls