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

SPONSOR:	Altamirano		DATE TYPED:	2-12-03		HB
SHORT TITLE:		WNMU Child Development Center Program Needs				SB	544
					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)

Similar to HB 304

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

Senate Bill 544 appropriates $250.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico for expenditure in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 for the purpose of funding recurring child care needs created by the dire economic conditions in Grant county.

The bill contains an emergency clause.

Significant Issues

According to the CHE, this request for $250,000 was not included in the research and public service projects 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.

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 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