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

SPONSOR Gonzales

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1-30-06

HB 291

SHORT TITLE TAOS COUNTY HOMELESS YOUTH SERVICES SB

ANALYST Hadwiger

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

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

Human Services Department (HSD)

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 291 appropriates $50 thousand from the general fund to the Local Government Divi-

sion of the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) in FY07 for a community-based

organization to provide services for the homeless.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $50 thousand contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general

fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY07 would revert to

the general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DFA noted that homeless youth include those who leave the foster care system at age 18, as well

as those who have completed care at inpatient treatment centers and need to obtain the life skills

to reintegrate into their community and those who have been released from incarceration and

House Bill 291 – Page 2

need to be reintegrated into the community. Fifteen percent of youth in Taos county are not em-

ployed nor in the labor force. Eighty-five youth are currently on supervised probation with the

juvenile probation office. DFA stated that a transitional living center will assist the homeless,

abused and neglected youth to obtain the independent living skills needed to become responsible

citizens of their community. A transitional living center provides the youth with positive alterna-

tives to help them re-assess their lives and futures.

The Human Services Department indicated the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority tradi-

tionally disburses any funds provided by the State Legislature to agencies statewide that provide

shelter and meals service to homeless persons. The Executive and LFC budgets contain $750

thousand for homeless shelters and $200 thousand for homeless meals throughout New Mexico

for FY 2007. The funding in HB 291 is specific to Taos County youth only.

The Children, Youth and Families Department noted the bill does not specify the type of services

that are to be provided to the target populations, or what the proposed services are intended to

achieve. HSD indicated the bill does not provide a definition of “Abused and Neglected Youth”.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The Local Government Division of DFA will distribute the appropriation to Taos county in the

form of a joint powers agreement or memorandum of understanding.

DH/yr