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

SPONSOR Nava

DATE TYPED 2/23/05

HB

SHORT TITLE Support and Expand Youth Council Work

SB 702

ANALYST Dunbar

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$200.0

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to SB617

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

Department of Health (DOH)

NM Public Education Department (NMPED)

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 702 appropriates $200 thousand dollars from the general fund to Children, Youth and

Families Department to support and expand the work of the Youth Council (Youth Alliance) in

FY 2006. The Youth Council is currently incorporated within CYFD.

Significant Issues

The Youth Council creates the opportunity for youth across the state to advise the Governor,

Lieutenant Governor, Children’s Cabinet, and Legislature on policy issues that affect them.

The Youth Council desires additional resources to respond to increasing demand for their par-

ticipation from policy makers. Funding is also desired for appropriate staffing, refining training

Senate Bill 702 Page 2

goals and processes, using more effective methods to document youth views, increasing member

diversity and participation, and engaging members’ peers at the local level.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $200 thousand dollars contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the

general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY06 shall re-

vert to the general fund.

The bill is a companion to SB617. Passage of the appropriation contained in SB702 will fund

CYFD to fulfill requirements in SB 617.

COMPANIONSHIP

The bill is a companion bill to SB617 that amends Section 9-2A-19 NMSA 1978 to create the

Youth Alliance Act and outlines the duties and responsibilities of the Youth Alliance and the

Youth Alliance Coordinator. The Youth Alliance will be administratively attached to the Office

of the Secretary of CYFD, and will be responsible for the recruiting and selection of Alliance

members statewide. The Alliance will meet a minimum of four times a year to discuss issues re-

lating to youth and potential solutions to those issues.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

DVR suggests that Youth with disabilities should be represented in the council.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

Adolescence is a pivotal time of biological, cognitive, emotional and social changes. Adoles-

cents establish patterns of behavior and make lifestyle choices that affect both their current and

future health.

Positive youth development (PYD) opportunities have been proven to decrease problem behavior

such as substance abuse, teen pregnancy and violence, as well as promoting positive outcomes.

PYD opportunities approach youth as resources to be developed rather than problems to be fixed.

They expose youth to opportunities, services and supports in their communities (Pittman, 2002).

Goals of positive youth development include youth being intellectually reflective, en route to a

lifetime of meaningful work, good citizens, caring, ethical, and healthy (Carnegie Council on

Adolescent Development, 1989). Youth development programs are developmentally appropriate

and foster the above competencies in addition to skill building for decision making, problem

solving, conflict resolution, critical thinking and leadership to meet the challenges they will face

as they mature (Roth et al, 1998).

Support for expansion of the Youth Council is broad including the Forum on Youth in Commu-

nity, New Mexico Civic Engagement Initiative, New Mexico Commission for Community Vol-

unteerism and various other public, private and non-profit organizations.

BD/lg