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

SPONSOR Moore

DATE TYPED 01/31/05 HB 187

SHORT TITLE NMSU Extension Service Veterinarian

SB

ANALYST Woods

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$200.0

Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to the appropriation for New Mexico State University in the General Appropriations Act.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico State University (NMSU) – College of Agriculture and Home Economics (CAHE)

No Response From

Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 187 – Making an Appropriation to New Mexico State University for the Cooperative

Extension Service to Employ a Veterinarian for Animal research and Education Services – ap-

propriates $200,000 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico State Univer-

sity for expenditure in FY06 to employ a veterinarian for animal health research and education

services through the cooperative extension service. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance

remaining at the end of FY06 shall revert to the general fund.

House Bill 187 -- Page 2

Significant Issues

NMSU-CAHE indicates this bill addresses a critical need in the NMSU academic structure: at

present, the university does not have a veterinarian on faculty. While CAHE is generally ex-

pected to offer information and support to the state’s livestock industries, central to this respon-

sibility is the ability to provide specific assistance in a number of essential areas, including:

•

developing preventive herd health programs;

•

dealing with infectious disease outbreaks;

•

development of bio-security programs; and

•

addressing state and national animal disease regulations.

To this end, CAHE suggests that these, as well as other significant programs and issues, could be

best addressed by a veterinarian who, in addition to providing industry advice and assistance,

could also contribute to CAHE’s research, teaching and extended education curricula.

This request was not included in CHE’s funding recommendation for FY06.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $200,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY06 shall revert to the gen-

eral fund.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

NMSU-CAHE would retain oversight of the program.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Relates to the appropriation for NMSU in the General Appropriations Act.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

CAHE suggests that an extension veterinarian would be a valuable asset to state and county ex-

tension faculty as they assist the New Mexico state veterinarian’s office and U.S. Department of

Agriculture’s, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in coping with infectious disease out-

breaks. CAHE notes that in past years, extension faculty have assisted with numerous disease

incidents including:

•

vesicular stomatitis and West Nile virus in horses;

•

tuberculosis, brucellosis, and Johne’s disease in beef and dairy cattle;

•

scrapie in sheep and goats;

•

chronic wasting disease in deer and elk;

•

exotic Newcastle disease and avian influenza in poultry.

Faculty have also provided information to the livestock industry and the general public regarding

concerns of bio-terrorism and bio-security, including concerns of bovine spongiform encephalo-

House Bill 187 -- Page 3

pathy (mad cow disease), foot-and-mouth disease and anthrax.

CAHE notes that livestock production accounts for $1.38 billion annually in farm and ranch in-

come, with beef and dairy animals and milk production accounting for approximately 97 percent

of the total dollars. As New Mexico continues to be one of the fastest growing dairy states in the

nation, CAHE believes that an extension veterinarian is central to the economy and welfare of

the state’s livestock industry.

BFW/lg