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

SPONSOR Lopez

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/4/06

HB

SHORT TITLE NM Tech Science & Math Career Preparation

SB 595

ANALYST Earp

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$162.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates HB 463

Relates to HB 756, SFCS/SB415, SB 618

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Education Department (PED)

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 595 appropriates $162,000 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the New

Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMTech) for expenditure in FY07 for an organiza-

tion dedicated to preparing students for careers in mathematics, engineering, and the sciences.

The appropriation also shall be used to expand the programs of the organization in 12 to 18 pub-

lic schools throughout the state.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $162,000 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.

For fiscal year 2006, HED received an appropriation of $914,400 for this program and NMTech

submitted a program change request to the NMHED in the amount of $162,000, for a total of

Senate Bill 595 – Page

2

$1,076,400. The base level of funding is included in the General Appropriation Act and, as of

the date of this report, expansion funding in the amount of $80,000 is included in SFCS/SB 415.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

This expansion proposal was included among the special program funding requests submitted by

the NMTech to the Higher Education Department (HED) for review. However, this proposal has

not been included in the HED fiscal year 2007 funding recommendations to the Legislature. The

organization to be supported through the appropriation is apparently New Mexico Math, Engi-

neering & Science Achievement, Inc. (NMMESA).

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

NMTech serves as fiscal agent and host to the New Mexico Mathematics, Engineering Science

Achievement (NM MESA) Inc., a nonprofit organization that promotes educational enrichment

for middle and high school students from historically under-represented ethnic groups. Funding

for this program has been made in recent years through the HED, which distributes the funding

to NMTech.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

House Bill 463 and Senate Bill 595 are duplicate measures.

This bill is also related to HB 756 which appropriates $18,000 for NM MESA program expan-

sion in Chaves County and to SB 618 which appropriates $40,000 for NM MESA program ex-

pansion at Tohatchi middle school and Zuni high school.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

Information provided through HED indicates that NM MESA, in partnership with schools and

universities, prepares these pre-college students for college and careers in mathematics, engi-

neering, science, and related fields. NM MESA proposes to expand programs to reach under-

served students in communities across the state. Currently there are MESA programs in one-third

of New Mexico's public school districts, but less than 10% of state supported secondary schools.

These funds will be earmarked to add 12 MESA programs in each of the six regions of the state:

Central, North Central, North, Southeast, Southwest, and West. These programs will be sup-

ported by statewide and regional offices located in Gallup, Las Vegas (NMHU), Las Cruces,

(NMSU), Roswell (ENMU), and Albuquerque (UNM & NM Tech).

NM MESA is based on a model that originated in 1970 at the University of California at Berke-

ley. Founded in 1982, NM MESA has grown to provide thousands of middle, junior high, and

high school students with year-round support and career guidance. In the 2003-2004 school year,

NM MESA served approximately 4,900 students in 101 schools and 31 school districts. NM

MESA is governed by a board composed of bipartisan legislative representation (both state and

federal); representatives of local and national companies; secondary schools; state universities; et

al. Financial support is provided by the State of New Mexico; numerous state and national corpo-

rations and foundations; federal agencies; and private donations.

DKE/mt