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.
The most recent FIR
version (in HTML & Adobe PDF formats) is available on the Legislative
Website. The Adobe PDF version includes
all attachments, whereas the HTML version does not. Previously issued FIRs and attachments may be
obtained from the LFC in
|
SPONSOR: |
Fidel |
DATE TYPED: |
|
HB |
|
||
|
SHORT TITLE: |
Cultural, Educational & Historic
Activities |
SB |
626 |
||||
|
|
ANALYST: |
Gonzales |
|||||
APPROPRIATION
|
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
||
|
FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
|
|
|
150.0 |
|
|
Recurring |
General
Fund |
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates
to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act
Responses
Received From
Office
of Cultural Affairs (OCA)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
Senate Bill 626
appropriates $150.0 from the general fund to the Office of Cultural Affairs for
the purpose of providing funding for the New Mexico Endowment for the
Humanities to: (1) sponsor cultural, educational and historical activities,
statewide, in rural and urban locations and (2) research, interpret and make
public presentations on how the availability and accessibility of water has
characterized New Mexico’s settlement.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of
$150.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any
unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY04 shall revert to
the general fund. However, in past
General Appropriation Acts, the Office of Cultural Affairs is a non-reverting
agency.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
OCA would have minimal
impact to conduct the request for proposal process (RFP) to accommodate the
state procurement process and the anti-donation laws.
RELATIONSHIP
The New Mexico
Endowment for the Humanities currently receives $150.0 from OCA to provide
humanities education services statewide.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
This bill specifically appropriates the funding
to OCA for contracting with New Mexico Endowment for the Humanities, however,
OCA would need to follow the RFP process, allowing any interested vendors,
including New Mexico Endowment for the Humanities, to submit proposals to
provide services for the specified activities
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
It is OCA’s understanding that if the New Mexico Endowment for the
Humanities received this contract, that they would issue 10 to 15 grants to
community groups, on a competitive basis.
The grants will be to enable the community groups to research, organize,
interpret, preserve and present to the public their community’s historic and
present relation to land and water. The
grants will allow formats including exhibitions, oral history projects,
symposia and panel talks, conferences, radio programs, workshops, lectures, and
videos. Other formats may also
qualify. There are three reasons to
offer communities these grants: (1) to
help them build capacity to serve their communities through their local museums
and libraries; (2) to help them assess their community’s position with regard
to historic and future water supply and quality; and (3) to help them begin
preparations for the Centennial celebration of New Mexico’s statehood and for
the many local centennials occurring in the coming few years.
JMG/sb