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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

2/8/2006

HB 635

SHORT TITLE Acequia History Project Research

SB

ANALYST McOlash

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$250.0 Non-Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Education Department (PED)

State Commission of Public Records (CPR)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 635 appropriates $250,000 from the General Fund to the State Records Center for ex-

penditure in FY 2007 for the State Historian to conduct archival and ethnographic research on

acequias to be incorporated into New Mexico history courses in the public schools.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The language in the bill specifies that the funding is for the State Historian to conduct the re-

search. The State Historian would not have the time to conduct the research, given existing job

responsibilities; the research would have to be done through contract(s).

The appropriation of contained in this bill is a non-recurring expense to the General Fund. .

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

General Fund.

House Bill 635 – Page 2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The CPR indicates it is unclear if the work could be completed within a single fiscal year, even if

contractors are engaged, The scope of the research and the nature of the final product would

dictate the length of time required. The agency assumes that the appropriation amount would

likely be adequate - only the timeframe is questionable. If the work could not be completed

within the fiscal year, then the agency would need to request re-appropriation of any remaining

funds necessary to complete the project.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

There is no direct impact on the PED Performance Measures; however, the bill supports the im-

plementation of the New Mexico K-12 Social Studies Content Standards.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

House Bill 635 relates to SJM18, which requests PED and public schools to educate students on

the historical and cultural importance of acequias. It also, possibly, relates to HB537 (acequia

service-learning project) and HB495 (appropriation to the DFA/Local Government Division for

"acequia education, technical assistance and planning"). However, the Commission of Public

Records is not familiar with the details of an "acequia-service learning project" or what is en-

compassed by the term "acequia education" in HB495.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

The appropriation is made to the "State Records Center". It should be made to the State Commis

sion of Public Records. The Records Center is the facility; the official name of the agency is the

"State Commission of Public Records."

BMC/nt