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

SPONSOR Vigil

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/9/06

HB 722

SHORT TITLE NMHU Bilingual Spanish Class Expansion

SB

ANALYST Earp

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$200.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB 281, SB 178 and SB 364

Relates to Appropriations in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HSD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 722 appropriates $200,000 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New

Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) for the addition of new faculty in the university’s Span-

ish language initiative to expand bilingual programming in general education, business, educa-

tion and social work classes.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $200,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2007 shall not re-

vert to the general fund. These funds would augment the “Instruction & General” appropriation

to NMHU, as well as a line-item for the Spanish program in the General Appropriation Act.

House Bill 722 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

A proposal for $62,000 for the Spanish program was included in the list of requests submitted by

NMHU to the Higher Education Department (NMHED) in addition to $288,000 considered part

of the recurring base funding for a total request of $350,000. The requested expansion was not

included in the HED recommendations for fiscal year 2007.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

NMHU currently administers this program and no additional impact is anticipated if this bill is

enacted.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

This bill is related to HB 281 for a Spanish immersion program, SB178 for a language and cul-

ture pilot project and SB 364 for bilingual education materials.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

HED reports that NMHU is seeking to become the country’s premier Hispanic serving institu-

tion. The Spanish language permeates the campus as part of a vision to preserve the language.

HB722 proposes to hire new faculty members to expand bilingual programming in pre-service

and professional education. Teacher education programs have been inundated with professionals

seeking to advance in the three-tier licensing system. The content areas most affected are read-

ing, bilingual education, and English as a second language because bilingual teachers are in short

supply. NMHU offers endorsement courses in education that count toward graduate credit for

advanced degrees.

HED is committed to the adequate and equitable support of necessary instructional, student ser-

vices, and academic support initiatives for all students in New Mexico. Activities to be funded in

this proposal are currently recommended for funding through the Instruction and General (I&G)

higher education funding formula within the General Appropriation Act. Funding of this pro-

gram without consideration of similar needs at all institutions could weaken the equitability and

thus the integrity of the established I&G formula funding process. Over time, the I&G formula

will fund the requested faculty positions.

DKE/yr