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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

2/5/06

HB 742

SHORT TITLE NMHU Ben Lujan Leadership & Policy Institute

SB

ANALYST Earp

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$500.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to Senate Bill 689

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 742 appropriates $500,000 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New

Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) for the Ben Lujan Leadership and Public Policy Institute.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $500,000 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 revert

to the general fund.

It is noted that $95,000 was appropriated for this purpose in Chapter 34, Laws of 2005 (Senate

Bill 190). As of the date of this analysis, a portion of this funding is continued in the General

Appropriation Act of 2006 (HAFCS/HB2, et al) as an element of an appropriation item for spe-

cial projects expansion.

House Bill 742 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

NMHU submitted a funding request of $500,000 for the institute to the Higher Education De-

partment (HED) for review. However, this proposal was not included in the HED fiscal year

2007 funding recommendations to the Legislature.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

NMHU is administratively responsible for the existing program. No significant additional im-

pact is anticipated if this legislation is adopted.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

This bill is related to Senate Bill 689 which seeks an appropriation of $75,000 for the Ben Lujan

Leadership and Policy Institute, as well as to an appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

discussed above.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

HED provided information indicating that the new Institute’s formal opening was in November

2005. In the first year, the Institute was charged with developing the major concepts to govern its

work. During its first year, the Institute surpassed expectations by developing the concepts and

implementing them. The Institute consists of four components: the Bill Richardson Public Policy

Program, the Senator Manny Aragon Public Policy Institute, the Governor Jerry Apodaca Sum-

mer Public Policy Institute, and the Samuel O. Montoya Center for Community Service. The

Institute should become a vehicle and meeting place where New Mexico helps to grow its next

generation of leaders. Funding would help support activities already underway and planned ex-

pansion activities under implementation.

DKE/mt