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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Ryan
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2-12-06
HB
SHORT TITLE
CYFD SANDOVAL COUNTY POVERTY
PROJECT
SB 553
ANALYST Lucero
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY06
FY07
$100.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)
Public Education Department (PED)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 553 appropriates $100.0 from the general fund to Children, Youth and Families De-
partment for the purpose of engaging communities in Sandoval county in a project that helps
families move out of poverty, helps children to succeed in school and presents systemic solutions
to poverty.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $100.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any
unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of 2007 shall revert to the general
fund.
There would not be any fiscal implications for the Public Education Department (PED).
pg_0002
Senate Bill 553 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation sponsored “Kids Count” annual data report, New
Mexico consistently ranks among the bottom states in the nation for percentage of children living
in poverty. Poverty is strongly and pervasively associated with lower developmental, behavioral,
educational, and health outcomes in children, as well as with higher rates of domestic violence,
incarceration, and substance abuse among adult family members.
From: United Way of Central New Mexico, COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR
SANDOVAL COUNTY, September 2005.
Survey of Community Issues
The most important community issues/groups for charities to support were children and child
abuse, the same as for the overall sample.
Demographics
•
As of the census of 2000, there are 89,908 people, 31,411 households, and 23,621 fami-
lies residing in the county.
•
There are 31,411 households out of which 38.60% have children under the age of 18 liv-
ing with them.
•
In the county the population is spread out with 29.60% under the age of 18,
•
12.10% of the population and 9.00% of families are below the poverty line.
•
Out of the total population, 15.60% of those under the age of 18 are living below the
poverty line.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
By addressing such barriers to learning as poverty, this legislation could help Sandoval County
residents move out of poverty and thereby may have a positive impact on academic achievement
and graduation rates.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
CYFD will absorb any administrative costs associated with passage of this bill.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
The language in the bill is broad. The goal seems to want to move families out of poverty, help
children succeed in school, and systemically solve poverty.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
•
New Mexico is ranked 48
th
(second next to worst) in the nation with its population living
pg_0003
Senate Bill 553 – Page
3
in poverty (
www.kidscount.org
).
•
The number of homeless children and youths in New Mexico, according to the PED
2004-05 program data collection report, is 4,386.
•
Homeless children get sick four times as often as children in middle class families (Kids’
Corner: Facts about homelessness,
http://www.nationalhomeless.org
).
•
Homeless children go hungry twice as often as other children (Kids’ Corner: Facts about
homelessness,
http://www.nationalhomeless.org
).
•
Homeless children have more mental health problems than other children, but less than
one-third receives treatment (Kids’ Corner: Facts about homelessness,
http://www.nationalhomeless.org
).
•
New Mexico is ranked the worst (50
th
) in the nation with persons 18 to 24 living in pov-
erty (
www.kidscount.org
).
•
New Mexico is ranked 49
th
(next to worst) in the nation with children living below 150%
poverty (
www.kidscount.org
).
•
New Mexico is ranked 48
th
(second next to worst) in the nation with children living be-
low 250% poverty (
www.kidscount.org
).
DL/nt