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

SPONSOR Madalena

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/23/07

HB 72

SHORT TITLE Native American Independent Living Center

SB

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$250.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Indian Affairs Department (IAD)

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 72 appropriates $250.0 thousand from the general fund to the Division of Vocational

Rehabilitation for the purpose for independent living centers in the Pueblo of Laguna and the

Pueblo of San Felipe for Native Americans with disabilities. The centers will serve persons liv-

ing in Pueblos of Acoma, Laguna, Isleta, Sandia, Santa Ana, San Felipe, Santo Domingo,

Cochiti, Zia, and Jemez.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $250 thousand contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general

fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of Fiscal Year 2008 shall

revert to the general fund.

House Bill 72 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Indian Affairs Department reports.

The House Bill was endorsed by the Interim Indian Affairs Committee.

Independent living centers are designed to provide disabled citizens with the tools needed to

achieve greater independence. These programs are typically non-residential and clients play an

integral role in both the development of their own rehabilitation regimens and in facility man-

agement. There are few independent living centers/programs that are suited to meet the unique

needs of Native Americans in the State of New Mexico.

Data from the 1997 Survey of Income and Program Participation found that 22 percent of the

American Indian and Alaska Native population has one or more disabilities.

This is the highest

rate of disability when compared with all other races in the United States. The data also indi-

cates that Native American people with disabilities, especially those who live on reservations,

face unique circumstances and legal environments that require special outreach, consultation,

protections, and services.

In addition, Native American people with disabilities, especially those on reservations, face

unique circumstances (i.e. unemployment) that require special outreach, consultation, protec-

tions, and services. “High unemployment rates on reservations, which range from 33.5 percent to

52 percent, make it challenging for American Indians with disabilities to find employment.

1

The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation adds.

The New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) has a long standing partnership

with the Native American Community in New Mexico. As one of its premiere efforts, DVR ad-

ministers a contract designed to promote vocational rehabilitation services in all of the State’s

Pueblos and on the Jicarilla and Mescalero reservations. The Division has also established coop-

erative agreements with the Navajo Nation and the Pueblos of Laguna, Zuni, Jemez (all with vo-

cational rehabilitation programs) to increase and improve the service delivery capacity of voca-

tional rehabilitation services to Native Americans with disabilities. This Bill replicates this effort

in providing Independent Living services for Native Americans with disabilities.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

DVR indicates it administers contracts with Centers for Independent Living various communities

around the state. It also administers a contract with the Statewide Independent Living Council.

The SILC has included priorities related to improving services for Native Americans with dis-

abilities in the current State Plan for Independent Living. Much of this is based on input re-

ceived at public hearings and focus groups

MW/mt