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

SPONSOR Robinson

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/9/06

HB

SHORT TITLE UNM Alliance for Transportation Institute

SB 441

ANALYST Earp

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$150.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 441 appropriates $150,000 from the general fund to the University of New Mexico

Board of Regents to continue environmental and health research and demonstration projects by

the Alliance for Transportation Institute.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $150,000 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

This proposal was not included among the special program funding requests submitted by the

University of New Mexico (UNM) to the Higher Education Department (HED) for review. Con-

sequently, this proposal has not been included in the HED fiscal year 2007 funding recommenda-

tions to the Legislature.

Senate Bill 441 – Page

2

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

UNM would administer the funding provided through this legislation. No significant impact is

evident.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

HED provided information indicating that the Alliance for Transportation Institute (ATRI) pro-

gram provides support to the University of New Mexico's (UNM) Department of Engineering

and Civil Engineering. The Institute's engineering professionals serve as lecturers in the Depart-

ment of Civil Engineering, teach classes and laboratories in Civil Engineering Materials and Me-

chanics of Materials. ATRI’s technical staff assists with undergraduate teaching laboratories

such as Construction Materials, Soil Mechanics, and Mechanics of Materials. This bill supports

the continued efforts by ATRI to provide technical assistance to community groups, local gov-

ernments, and the New Mexico Health and Environment departments by providing technology

applications in environmental and health research. This appropriation will support a Precaution-

ary Principle Working Group made up of representatives from community-based organizations,

local governments, and state governments to identify environmentally sound practices for state-

wide governments.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

What sources of revenue currently support the activities of ATRI.

DKE/nt