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

SPONSOR Rodriguez

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/7/06

HB

SHORT TITLE High School Mock Trial Program

SB 293

ANALYST Lewis

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

50.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 293 appropriates $50,000 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the Uni-

versity of New Mexico for the School of Law to conduct the New Mexico High School Mock

Trial Program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $50,000 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.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to the Higher Education Department (HED),

mock trial is an innovative, hands-on

experience in the law for high school students of all ages and abilities. Every year hundreds of

New Mexico teenagers and their teacher advisors and attorney coaches spend the better part of

the school year researching, studying and preparing a hypothetical courtroom trial involving

Senate Bill 293 – Page

2

critical issues that are important and interesting to young people. In February, the teams try their

cases before judges and panels of jurors in courtrooms in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. In

March, the eight finalists meet in Albuquerque to compete for the state championship. The state

champion will represent New Mexico at the national championship in May.

HED adds that the Center for Civic Values, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable and educational cor-

poration, partners with UNM to implement program activities throughout the state; provide edu-

cational materials to high schools and coordinate the New Mexico high school mock trial pro-

grams. UNM serves as a fiscal agent for the Center for Civic Values. The mock trial program

impacts over 200 high school students statewide.

According to the Public Education Department (PED), New Mexico has been very involved in

this student program over the years and hosted the national competition in 1999.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

PED notes that this legislation supports the implementation of the Social Studies Content Stan-

dards, Benchmarks and Performance Standards.

ML/mt