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

SPONSOR	King		DATE TYPED	2/04/04		HB	407
SHORT TITLE		Torrance County Domestic Violence Program				SB
					ANALYST		Gilbert

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY04	FY05	FY04	FY05
	$100.0			Recurring	General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to Human Services Department General Appropriations Act funding

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 407 appropriates $100 thousand from the general fund to the Local Government Division of the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) for expenditure in fiscal year 2005, for a domestic violence program in Torrance County.

Significant Issues

According to the DFA Local Government Division, a provider will conduct anger management and non-violence management classes. A domestic violence court will determine what type of service is needed or required. Since there is no emergency shelter in Torrance County, transportation services to shelters in Albuquerque will be provided for victims. The program also contracts with various local hotels for short-term emergency shelter. Operational costs of this program are also included in this appropriation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $100.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2005 shall revert to the general fund.

According to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), additional funds for a Torrance County domestic violence program may be secured through VAWA/VOCA grants and other entities interested in funding domestic violence programs.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The Local Government Division of DFA is charged with administering and distributing these funds.

RELATIONSHIP

Appropriations to the Income Support Program of the Human Services Department include $2.0 million for a domestic violence program.

Appropriations to the Children, Youth and Families Department include $600 thousand for domestic violence programs.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The Department of Justice (DOJ) implemented and has funded this program for the past seven years. It is now the responsibility of the counties to seek funding directly from the DOJ and obtain additional funding on their own. Chaves County has submitted an application; however, no award has been made at this time.

According to the CSW, New Mexico ranks 5th in the nation for incidents in domestic violence and 15 NM women each year are killed at the hands of their intimate partners. Currently Torrance County depends on the services of Albuquerque based domestic violence programs with satellite offices in the county. Women’s Community Association of Albuquerque is addressing domestic violence in Torrance County, with an office in Estancia. It is understaffed and does not adequately address the growing problem of domestic violence in this county.

RLG/prr:dm