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	Ingle		DATE TYPED	2/2/04		HB
SHORT TITLE		ENMU Teacher Education Learning Program				SB	227
					ANALYST		Baca

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY04	FY05	FY04	FY05
	$200.0			Recurring	General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Revenue Decreases)

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

Relates to SB 15, HB 342 and HB 353

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Commission on Higher Education Funding Recommendations for FY05

Responses Received From

New Mexico Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 227 appropriates $200 thousand from the general fund for expenditure in FY 2005 and subsequent fiscal years to Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) to provide funding for a teacher education distance-learning project to enable undergraduate and graduate courses to be telecommunicated to Hobbs, Ruidoso, Roswell, Tucumcari, Carlsbad, Cannon Air Force Base, Clovis and Raton

Significant Issues

ENMU’s service region covers the broad expanse of eastern New Mexico, a sparsely populated, primarily rural area. ENMU provides education services to a broad geographic area in the eastern part of New Mexico, an area that is primarily rural and sparsely populated. Funds in this bill would provide ENMU with resources to deliver distance education and help rural communities in the eastern part of the state meet the needs for enhancing teacher quality through ENMU’s graduate and undergraduate programs

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $200 thousand 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.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

This program expansion request was not among the FY05funding priorities submitted by the ENMU Board of Regents. Consequently, the Commission did not review this request.

RELATIONSHIP

SB 227 relates to:

SB 15, ENMU Teacher Education Programs

HB 342, WNMU Web--Based Teacher Licensure

HB 353, WNMU Web –Based Teacher Licensure

AMENDMENTS

The following language is suggested for all new recurring higher education programs and expansion of current programs (assuming that funding will continue beyond FY05):

“The institution receiving the appropriation in this bill shall submit a program evaluation to the Legislative Finance Committee and the Commission on Higher Education by August 2007 detailing the benefits to the State of New Mexico from having implemented this program over a three period.”

RLG/njw