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

SPONSOR Stapleton

DATE TYPED 02/14/05 HB 615

SHORT TITLE Relearning Program

SB

ANALYST Chabot

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$1,300.0

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates SB 316

Relates to HB 429

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 615 appropriates $1.3 million from the general fund to the board of regents of Eastern

New Mexico University for the purpose of continuing the Re:Learning program to support

school improvement in all grades of public schools statewide.

Significant Issues

PED assesses “Re:Learning has been funded as a non-recurring expenditure since 1989.

Re:Learning currently provides services in over 180 schools in 40 school districts throughout the

state. These services include support for change, professional development to support imple-

mentation of New Mexico content standards and three-tiered teacher licensure.”

House Bill 615 -- Page 2

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The Re:Learning may lead to improved student outcomes and relates to proficiency scores in

math, reading and language arts which are performance measures for public school support.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $1.3 million contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2006 shall revert

to the general fund.

The LFC FY06 appropriation recommendation is balanced between revenues and expenditures

and any increase in recurring funding must be offset by reductions in other areas of the recom-

mendation. The Legislature must consider all priorities and funding requirements to find reve-

nue to support this legislation.

While PED states the appropriation has always been non-recurring, the LFC considers this a re-

curring appropriation because once the program was started in 1989, the expectation was it

would be continued in future years. The LFC strongly recommends not funding initiatives with

non-recurring revenues as it will reduce revenues available in future legislative sessions.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

CHE recommends the bill be amended to include the requirement for program evaluation plan on

program effectiveness with reporting to LFC and CHE by October 1, 2005. The LFC would rec-

ommend including LESC in any reporting.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

Neither analysis from PED nor CHE provided justification for this program or provided a sum-

mary of accomplishments.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

1.

What has this program accomplished.

2.

How can a program funded continuously since 1989 be considered non-recurring.

3.

GAC/lg