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 PDF versions include all attachments, whereas HTML versions may not. Previously issued FIRs and attachments may also be obtained from the LFC in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.

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

SPONSOR	King		DATE TYPED	2/10/04		HB	349/aHEC
SHORT TITLE		Statewide Workplace Literacy Initiative				SB
					ANALYST		Baca

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY04	FY05	FY04	FY05
	$250.0			Recurring	General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Revenue Decreases)

Identical to SB 107

Relates to Appropriation for the Commission on Higher Education in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico Public Education Department (PED)

Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of HEC Amendment

The House Education Committee amendments strike the emergency clause, change the appropriation from FY04 to FY05, and stipulate that all unexpended and unencumbered funds at the end of FY05 shall revert to the general fund.

Synopsis of Original Bill

House Bill 349 appropriates $250 thousand from the general fund to the CHE for a statewide literacy initiative that includes literacy programs in rural areas of the state to increase literacy skills for employed adults without high school diplomas.

The bill contains an emergency clause.

Significant Issues

The PED reports that this proposal is related to the activities of SJM 69 adopted by the 2003 Session of the State Legislature. SJM 69 requested that a task force be appointed to develop a Workplace Literacy Plan for New Mexico. The task force met, reviewed best practices for workplace literacy and submitted recommendations to the LESC in December of 2003. The recommendations proposed that a planning grant be requested to establish a multi-agency Workplace Literacy Planning Task Force charged with developing a statewide plan that included goals, timelines and evaluation procedures. Immediate statewide implementation does not appear to have been included in the recommendations.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $250 thousand contained in this bill is a recurring an expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY04 shall revert to the general fund.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

This program was not among those recommended for funding by the CHE.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

1. Did the Task force recommend “immediate” implementation of a statewide literacy initiative?
2. How would the appropriation be used to implement the provisions of this bill?
3. Does the sponsor intend that this appropriation be used to set up pilot projects?

LB/prr:dm