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

SPONSOR Gardner

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2-3-06

HB 812

SHORT TITLE RURAL CYFD OFFICE MOTOR VEHICLES

SB

ANALYST Lucero

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$2,500.0 Non-recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 812 appropriates $2,500.0 from the general fund to Children, Youth and Families

Department for the purpose of purchasing motor vehicles for use in rural field offices.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $2,500.0 contained in this bill is a non-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.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The programs and services provided by CYFD are intended to protect children from abuse, ne-

glect, exploitation, provide childcare, Pre-k, domestic violence, and juvenile reform. Current

services encompass responding to emergencies involving the well being of children. They are

aimed at preserving or maintaining families, the reunification of families, adjudication, assis-

tance with adoptions and intervention-type services, inspections, licensing, etc.

House Bill 812 – Page 2

The performance of these duties requires travel throughout the state. Many of the CYFD vehi-

cles are old, in some cases be in questionable working order, and may be unsafe for the transport

of New Mexico’s children.

Workers sometimes find that it is more convenient and safe to use their private vehicle in the

performance of duties.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

Safe and reliable vehicles improve the safety and productivity of CYFD employees and improve

their ability to provide important health services for New Mexicans.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

CYFD would gladly absorb any administrative costs associated with acquiring new vehicles.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

Hazards faced by workers and the children they transport include heavy snowfall, extreme tem-

peratures, and bad roads. CYFD employees must have the basic resources, including a sufficient

number of vehicles, that they need to perform their jobs and get themselves and the children that

they are charged to protect out of potentially dangerous situations. Reliance upon the use of em-

ployee-owned vehicles to respond to reports of harm or to transport children exposes the em-

ployee-transporter and the State to potential liability

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

Some CYFD employees in rural areas spend between 50-60% of their working week out of the

office performing investigations, conducting home visits, going to court, transporting children,

attending case planning meetings, and performing other case-related activities.

The need for reliable transportation is need because worker's case loads continue to increase, re-

quiring more frequent use of vehicles for longer periods of time for State employees in highly

contentious situations. Worker safety and efficiency demand that staff be adequately equipped.

While many needs can be postponed, the current request involves items that are needed for

workers to function safely and effectively

A shortage of vehicles is not a matter of inconvenience, but is one of safety and liability. For ex-

ample, a social worker may perform a routine home visit, find that a child or children are being

abused or neglected and determines that the child or children must be taken into emergency cus-

tody. If the only vehicle available is an unsafe vehicle the worker may have to take their per-

sonal vehicle. The worker must call the field office to request a transport. In the meantime, the

child's (children's) parent becomes agitated and hostile. The emotionally charged nature of this

type of situation can quickly escalate into violence

House Bill 812 – Page 2

ALTERNATIVES

CYFD could be mandated to enter into agreements with other state agencies to share vehicles in

the more rural areas of the state.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

New Mexico’s children may be transported in unsafe and unreliable vehicles.

DL/mt