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SPONSOR: |
Carraro |
DATE TYPED: |
3/3/03 |
HB |
|
||
SHORT TITLE: |
2007 International Science and Engineering
Fair |
SB |
799 |
||||
|
ANALYST: |
Collard |
|||||
APPROPRIATION
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
||
FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
|
|
$500.0 |
|
See
Narrative |
Non-Recurring |
General
Fund |
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Responses
Received From
Economic
Development Department
Intel
International Science and Engineering Fair 2007 Co-Chairman
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
Senate Bill 799
appropriates $500,000 from the general fund to the Economic Development Department
for the purpose of supporting the city of Albuquerque’s bid to host the
international science and engineering fair in 2007.
Significant Issues
The international
science and engineering fair is an annual fair, held in a different American
city every year. The sponsors of this
event indicate approximately 4,000 to 5,000 people from 40 different countries
will enter the city of Albuquerque due to this event. International travelers will likely come to Albuquerque a few
days before the fair and stay a few days after the fair in local hotels.
The week-long fair
consists of 1,400 students, whittled down from approximately 5,000,000 students
from around the world, competing in 16 categories. Of these students, 1,200 are actual contestants and 200 are
alternates. Between 30 percent and 35
percent of the students will win prizes totaling between two and three million
dollars, including scholarships, computers, tuition grants, trips to Stockholm,
Sweden for the Nobel Prize ceremonies, or trips to the European science and engineering
fair. For every category first, second,
third, and fourth places are awarded to several students, as well as a “Best in
Category” award. Of the awarded
students, three will be chosen from a panel of judges as outstanding science
students. In 2002, the annual fair was
held in Louisville, Kentucky, and a New Mexico student was named one of the
three outstanding science students.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $500.0 contained in this
bill is a non-recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or
unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY04 shall revert to the general
fund. The Economic Development
Department indicate it would be beneficial if this appropriation were
contingent on matching funds from non-state sources because one of the requirements
to host the international science and engineering fair is a show of community
support. The sponsors need to raise $1,700.0 from public and private entities
to host the event. The sponsors of this
event support the matching funds requirement.
They also indicate a $7 to $8 million economic impact on the state.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
The Economic
Development Department indicates hosting the fair would aid in the department’s
effort to promote high quality education in science and mathematics. In addition, the fair offers the potential
of showcasing New Mexico’s research and development organizations and the
benefits of doing business in New Mexico.
The department indicates if the appropriation can be contracted out in
one sum to the sponsors of the event, the implications are minimal.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
The department notes it would be helpful if the
bill indicated how the appropriation is supposed to be administered and
specifies how the money can be spent.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
The
department indicates the international science and engineering fair offers New
Mexico an opportunity to advance and promote science, math, and engineering
education in the state. In order to
successfully win the bid, the organizers need to show that they have community
support and the financial resources to support this event. This will require a strong effort to
mobilize existing resources in the state such as the national laboratories,
research institutions, private industry and state and local government.
Efforts
are already underway in some of the state’s school systems to advance education
in science and math. These are fairly
new initiatives and this kind of effort is supported by the state and the
Economic Development Department.
Hosting the science and engineering fair can be considered another part
of this effort and it would bode well to show that the state is supportive of
events which honor achievements in science and engineering at the secondary
education level.
In addition, an event like has the potential of
having a multi-million dollar impact on the state.
Finally, the department adds, without the state’s support in this
effort, Albuquerque’s chances of winning the bid are lessened. It would be to Albuquerque’s advantage to
say not only does the state of New Mexico value high quality education in
science, math and engineering but it also supports events that promote
achievements in this field by offering to assist financially.
KBC/njw