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

Lujan, B.

DATE TYPED

2/9/04

HB

482/aHCPAC

 

SHORT TITLE

Family Resource Assistance Access Web Site

SB

 

 

 

ANALYST

Dunbar

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY04

FY05

FY04

FY05

$50.0

 

 

See Narrative

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Revenue Decreases)

 

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

 

Responses Received From

Human Services Department –DoIT (HSD)

New Mexico Department of Public Education (PED)

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis of HCPAC Amendment

 

The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee amendment changes the development of a family resource assistance web site to an informational retrieval program site, rather than a site geared to take applications for benefits.

 

Synopsis of Original Bill

 

House Bill 482 appropriates $50 thousand from the general fund to the Human Services Department for expenditure in FY04 and FY05 to develop, through a coordinated effort of all agencies involved, a family resource assistance web site from which the applicants for, and recipients of, public assistance and employment programs can apply for benefits and receive information.

 

This bill contains an emergency clause.

 

Significant Issues

 

In its analysis, HSD submitted the following observations:

 

  • $50 thousand is not enough to complete the development effort. 
  • This type of IT system would require approval from the federal government, and federal funding participation should be sought.
  • This bill may be in conflict with other efforts currently underway throughout state government, such as the Virtual One-Stop System (DOL), DDPC’s 211 line and the state CIO’s plans for the development of an eligibility system.
  • This bill does not specify which agencies should participate in the coordinated effort.

.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

The appropriation of $50.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.  Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY05 shall revert to the general fund.  HSD indicates that major IT systems require ongoing maintenance and further development, but there is no funding for ongoing maintenance and development of the system.  It is likely that appropriations will be needed in the future to maintain and further develop the system.

 

RELATIONSHIP

 

Other observations contained in the HSD analysis are that:

 

  • This bill (which funds the development phase) may relate to HB2 Section 8 (23), which appropriates funds to HSD for the design phase of an ISD2 replacement system and for a web-based solution for social services eligibility determination.  This multi-agency project includes HSD, CYFD, ALTC and DOL.

 

AMENDMENTS

 

HSD proposes the following changes to the bill:

 

·         an amendment to specify CYFD, ALTC and DOL as the other agencies to include in the development effort, as these agencies are named in HB2 Section 8.23 to participate in the design of a web-based solution for social services eligibility determination.

·         an amendment to indicate that federal funding participation should be sought to match with the General Fund appropriation.

 

LB/yr:lg:njw