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

SPONSOR Altamirano

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1-31-06

HB

SHORT TITLE Statewide Youth Mentoring Programs

SB 175

ANALYST Hadwiger

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$1,500.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to SB368, HB679, and HB744 that would provide funds for regional or local mentoring

programs rather than statewide as in SB175.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

Department of Health (DOH)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 175 appropriates $1.5 million from the general fund to the Local Government Divi-

sion (LGD) of the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) in FY07 for youth mentor-

ing programs statewide through a program that matches at-risk children with carefully screened

mentors.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $1.5 million contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY07 would revert to the

general fund.

Senate Bill 175 – Page 2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Department of Health indicated that a connection to a caring adult other than a parent has

been shown to be a strong protective factor for alcohol and drug use, violence, sexual behaviors,

unhealthy dietary patterns and inadequate physical activity. Mentoring programs are proven ef-

fective ways to create and maintain these connections to promote positive youth development.

According to the Department of Finance and Administration, approximately 95 percent of the

children served in mentoring programs come from single-parent families and over 90 percent are

from low-income families. During the last three years, the number of children matched in-

creased over 55 percent from 1,997 to 3,100.

The Public Education Department offered the following benefits from mentoring programs:

•

Research shows that “adult role models,” “supportive relationship with three or more

other adults” and “adults in community valuing youth” as essential to youths’ health and

well-being.

•

Researchers working from within a risk and resilience framework have repeatedly called

attention to the protective influence of supportive relationships with adults, highlighted

the importance of “one good relationship,” and discussed the critical importance of sig-

nificant adults in promoting the healthy development of highly stressed youths.

•

Mentoring relationships can positively influence a range of outcomes, including im-

provements in peer and parental relationships, academic achievement and self-concept, as

well as lower recidivism rates among juvenile delinquents and reduced substance abuse.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

PED noted SB175 may positively impact the academic achievement of youths participating in

the program by improving attendance, resulting in improved reading and math scores and in-

creasing the graduation rate of students in New Mexico.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The grant will be administered through DFA which already has the staff and the knowledge to

easily fund and monitor this project.

DH/yr