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

SPONSOR Vaughn

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/24/2007

HB 94

SHORT TITLE Low-Vision Clinic Program

SB

ANALYST McOlash

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$10.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Education Department (PED)

Responses Not Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 94 appropriates $10,000 from the General Fund to the New Mexico School for the

Blind and Visually Impaired (NMSBVI) for expenditure in FY 2008 for a Low-Vision Clinic

Program (LVC) for visually impaired students

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $10,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the General Fund .

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 2008 shall revert to the

General Fund.

House Bill 94 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Statewide low vision services do not exist, currently, in New Mexico - one of the few states

without such services. With the development of this clinic, students statewide can begin to re-

ceive comprehensive examinations unique to individuals with low vision. NMSBVI is attempting

to offer services with volunteers and donated equipment. This $10,000 would assist with pay-

ments to doctors and low-vision consultants.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired has received a small grant of

$10,000 from the PNM Resources Foundation for the Low-Vision Clinic. The money from the

grant, entitled: New Mexico Low Vision Clinic, NMSBVI Access to Learning, will be used to pur-

chase equipment for the clinic.

BM/sb