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

SPONSOR Altamirano

DATE TYPED 2/11/05

HB

SHORT TITLE Installation of Bathroom Safety Grab Bars

SB 356

ANALYST Hadwiger

APPROPRIATION

(in $000s)

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$300.0

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

Aging and Long-Term Services Department (ALTSD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 356 appropriates $300,000 from the general fund in FY06 to the Department of Fi-

nance and Administration (DFA) for the purpose of installling bathroom safety grab bars in the

homes of low-income seniors in the counties of Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Catron, Sierra, Socorro,

and Dona Ana.

Significant Issues

DFA indicated this is a pilot initiative to be administered, operated and coordinated by the

Community Action Agency (CAA) of Las Cruces. The Volunteer Center of Grant County,

which receives repeated requests for safety bars for homebound seniors, received funding from

the McCune Foundation for grab bars. Research revealed the need was greater than imagined

and that the Disabled and Elderly Waiver, administered through the Department of Health, did

not allow installation of grab bars with their funding. For safety purposes, the installation should

be carried out by a licensed contractor rather than a volunteer who lacks expertise.

Senate Bill 356 -- Page 2

The Aging and Long-Term Services Department reported that the National Center for Injury

Prevention and Control has identified falls as a major cause for injury-related death for people

over age 65 and that one out of four people who break a hip die within six months and another

25% will require lifelong care and in most cases institutionalization.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $300,000 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.

DH/sb:lg