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

SPONSOR Pinto

DATE TYPED 02/28/05 HB

SHORT TITLE Domestic Violence Services for Families

SB 931

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$60.0

Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB 618, SB 759, SB 871

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Indian Affairs (DIA)

Children Youth and Families (CYFD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 931 appropriates $60 thousand from the general fund to the Indian Affairs Depart-

ment for the purpose of contracting for domestic and sexual violence crisis programming for

adults and children in rural northwest New Mexico.

Significant Issues

The following is contributed by the Indian Affairs Department.

There is clearly a need for American Indian domestic violence shelters and services when

crime victimization rates in the American Indian community are significantly higher than

in the general U.S. population. As a result of these high rates of violence, American In-

dian women are at high risk of homicide, including domestic violence. In fact, homicide

is the 3rd leading cause of death for American Indian women. Of American Indian

women murdered, over 75% were killed by a family member, an acquaintance, or some-

one they knew.

Senate Bill 931 -- Page 2

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, American Indians are the victims of violent

crimes at more than twice the rate of all U.S. residents. Further, this disparity in the rates

of exposure to violence affecting American Indians occurs across age groups, housing lo-

cations, and by gender. There are few Federal programs such as the Violence Against

Indian Women Discretionary Grant Program (STOP VAIW Program) that provide grants

to develop and implement effective strategies to reduce the rates of domestic violence

against women in Tribal communities. Federal grant funds are usually limited and insuf-

ficient to address the priority of reducing domestic violence.

More specifically, there is a need for programs to combat domestic violence in rural

northwest New Mexico and the need for culturally relevant services to Native American

victims is even higher. The Indian Affairs Department (DIA) is aware of only one viable

program that provides culturally relevant domestic violence crisis intervention and pre-

vention services to Native American victims of violence in northwest New Mexico. The

Family Harmony Project provides direct services to domestic violence and sexual assault

victims living in the six counties that make up the Navajo Nation Eastern Agency— San

Juan, McKinley, Cibola, Bernalillo, Sandoval, and Socorro. The Family Harmony Pro-

ject, which is housed within the Crownpoint Indian Health Care Facility, is one of the

first hospital-based domestic violence programs within Indian country and serves as a

model for the country.

Rural northwest New Mexico includes much of the eastern region of the Navajo Nation

reservation or the Navajo Eastern Agency. The Navajo Eastern Agency is comprised of

31 Chapter communities and includes three separate Navajo Reservation lands (Ramah,

Canoncito and Alamo), with a total estimated population of 34,382(1997) and a large re-

mote land base of 3,363,519.68 acres. There are six counties that are included in the Na-

vajo Eastern Agency— San Juan, McKinley, Cibola, Sandoval, Bernalillo and Socorro

counties.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $60 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.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

Consideration should be given to making the appropriation to either CYFD or DOH. CYFD is

the lead state agency responsible for administering domestic violence programs and services con-

tracts statewide. This bill shifts this responsibility to the Indian Affairs Department and creates

the opportunity for duplication of services. The Department of Health currently administers

funding for sexual assault programs.

MW/lg