Fiscal impact
reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for
standing finance committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume
responsibility for the accuracy of these reports if they are used for other
purposes.
Current FIRs (in
HTML & Adobe PDF formats) are available on the NM Legislative Website (legis.state.nm.us). Adobe
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also be obtained from the LFC in
|
SPONSOR |
HENRC |
DATE TYPED |
|
HB |
612/HENRCS |
||
|
SHORT
TITLE |
Public, Peace, Health, Safety & Welfare |
SB |
|
||||
|
|
ANALYST |
Maloy |
|||||
APPROPRIATION
|
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
||
|
FY04 |
FY05 |
FY04 |
FY05 |
||
|
|
$3,000.0 |
|
See Narrative |
Recurring |
General
Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
LFC Files
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
The bill appropriates
$3 million from the general fund to the interstate stream commission for
expenditure in FY05 and 06 as non-federal matching funds for the Middle Rio
Grande Endangered Species Act Collaborative Program to plan, design and
construct silvery minor habitats, and to conserve water to prevent the
extinction of the minnow from Velarde to Elephant
Butte Reservoir.
Unexpended or
unencumbered funds at the end of FY06 shall revert to the general fund.
Significant Issues
The responsibilities of the Interstate Stream
Commission / Office of the State Engineer are considerable, including backlogged
adjudications and applications, costly litigation that has been on-going for
decades, managing the current drought conditions, developing and implementing regional
water plans and a statewide water plan, developing means to comply with the
state’s interstate delivery requirements, and developing new water resources
and conservation initiatives. There is
concern regarding how much money has been directed to
the Office for years, and the slow progress made toward these objectives. As such, this project and its revenue may be
better directed to an entity such as New Mexico Institute of Mining and
Technology.
This appropriation has
the potential of becoming another non-recurring, special appropriation that
supports recurring functions. For the past several years, nearly one-third of
the Interstate Stream Commission /Office of the State Engineer has been funded
through non-recurring, special appropriations. Preservation
of the minnow and water conservation are surely projects that will result in
on-going work. The goal of the LFC in
preparing a budget for the Interstate Stream Commission / Office of the State
Engineer was finding recurring revenue sources to support the recurring
operations of the Office.
SJM/dm