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

SPONSOR Wirth

DATE TYPED 2/24/05

HB 1003

SHORT TITLE Palace of the Governors’ Archaeological Work

SB

ANALYST Hanika-Ortiz

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$100.0

Recurring General Fund

Relates to appropriation for the DCA in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 1003 appropriates $100 thousand from the general fund to the DCA in FY06 to ana-

lyze artifacts recovered from the Palace of the Governors archaeological excavations and to pre-

pare a publication on the results.

Significant Issues

The analysis of recovered artifacts representing 400 years of New Mexico history will offer new

information on the historical uses and lifestyles associated with the Palace of the Governors and

early New Mexico settlements. The DCA would like to share this new information through a

publication on the archaeological studies.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The LFC report states that attendance has steadily declined since FY00 at the Palace of the Gov-

ernors museum. A suggestion in the report to reverse this trend is for New Mexico museums to

look at developing new exhibits.

House Bill 1003-- Page 2

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $100 thousand 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

general fund.

This appropriation was not part of the agency budget request reviewed by the LFC in 2004. 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 recommenda-

tion. The Legislature must consider all priorities and funding requirements to find revenue to

support this legislation.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

This initiative may positively impact the DCA’s public educational programs and encourage

more visitors to the museum.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL.

DCA reports that there is the potential to lose important historical information on early New

Mexico.

AHO/yr