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

SPONSOR Lundstrom

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/25/06

HB 49

SHORT TITLE Tribal Literacy Programs

SB

ANALYST Aguilar

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$50.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Education Department (PED)

Indian Affairs Department (IAD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 49 appropriates $50 thousand from the general fund to the Public Education Depart-

ment for the purpose of implementing new literacy programs on tribal sites in McKinley County.

Provisions contained in the bill require the department to contract with a nonprofit organization

that has greater than 50 years of experience working with Native American children and that is

already working in the state on the same type of integrated literacy program currently being used.

The bill contains a reversion provision at the end of FY07.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $50 thousand is a Recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended

or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2007 shall revert to the general

fund

.

House Bill 49 – Page 2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Indian Education Department notes that children lacking preparation in basic literacy skills

will be ill-prepared for secondary and post-secondary levels. Literacy programs that are tailored

to the educational needs of Native American children may help to fill the gap in literacy devel-

opment and increase educational performance of Native American students.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

The requirements in House Bill 49 direct that the department contract with a nonprofit with more

than 50 years of experience and working in the state. The LFC is concerned that this project is

being directed to a particular company and may be in violation of the procurement code.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The Indian Education Act of 2003 requires that curricula developed for Native American stu-

dents go through tribal consultation and ensure tribal approval and support. Therefore, it is rec-

ommended that the administrator of the grant work with the PED’S Indian Education Division

and Bilingual Education Bureau to assure that programming and curricula developed meet tribal

and state standards and requirements.

PA/yr:nt