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

SPONSOR Varela

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1-30-06

HB 329

SHORT TITLE AGING DEPT. GOLD MENTOR PROGRAM

SB

ANALYST Lucero

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$300.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to SB53 appropriating $350.0 to CYFD for mentoring 18 to 21 year-old foster children.

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act, executive recommended a $300.0

new initiative for mentoring middle schoolers. HAFC adopted the LFC recommendation; there-

fore, the new initiative is not in the HAFC substitute bill.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Office of Workforce Training and Development (OWTD)

Aging and Long Term Service Department (ALTSD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

This bill seeks appropriation for the Office of Workforce Training & Development (OWTD) to

fund a gold mentor program at the Aging and Long-Term Care Department (ALTCD).

House Bill 329 appropriates $300.0 from the general fund to Office of Workforce Training and

Development for expenditure in 2007 for the purpose of funding the Gold Mentor Program in the

Aging and Long Term Services Department.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $300.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any

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

House Bill 329 – Page 2

fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The ALTSD’s Gold Mentor Program is a participating partner in the Eastern New Mexico

Board’s One Stop Center. The Gold Mentor Program brings together a retiree and a person

(typically younger) in need. Since the inception of the Gold Mentor Program in 2000 until Feb-

ruary of 2005, it has helped nearly 3,700 people get back on track with the help of 50 mentors

who work in 13 communities throughout the state. Mentors share life skills and experience with

people in need.

Appropriating the money to OWTD for the Gold Mentor program ensures the connection of

mentors to workforce issues. ALTSD is supportive of this relationship.

This general fund appropriation may be counted as TANF maintenance of effort (MOE). This

type of programming may also help the Human Services Department achieve the new

higher federal participation requirements.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

Performance requirements for OWTD or ALTCD are not identified, but OWTD will work with

ALTCD to create performance requirements and standards that are in line with workforce train-

ing criteria.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

Bill contains no administrative requirements for either the Office of Workforce Training & De-

velopment or the Aging and Long-Term Care Department.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Relates to SB53 appropriating $350.0 to CYFD for mentoring 18 to 21 year-old foster children.

The executive recommended a $300.0 new initiative for mentoring middle schoolers. HAFC

adopted the LFC recommendation; therefore, the new initiative is not in the HAFC substitute

bill.

HAFC HB2 substitute recommends $500.0 TANF funds to the Human Services Department for

the Gold Mentor Program.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

The executive recommendation for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) combined

all TANF workforce appropriations (including Gold Mentor and Commission on the Status of

Women) in the OWTD budget. HAFC adopted the LFC recommendation which did not com-

bine the TANF workforce appropriations.

House Bill 329 – Page 2

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

ALTSD provided the following statement:

The GOLD Mentor Program will be more limited and serve less geographical locations and

fewer clients.

ALTERNATIVES

In order to keep the Gold Mentor budget in one place, the general fund appropriation can be

made to ALTSD with language specifying the appropriation is for the Gold Mentor Program to

partner with OWTD to provide workforce training programming.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

Currently there is a greater need for these services than funding can provide. IF this Bill is not

passed, residents in need of services available through the gold mentoring program will be sub-

ject to long waiting lists and funding availability.

DL/mt