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

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ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/22/07

HB 166

SHORT TITLE Sexually Abusive Youth Treatment Program

SB

ANALYST Geisler

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$150.0

Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department on Health (DOH)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 166, sponsored by the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee, would

appropriate $150,000 to the Department of Health (DOH) in FY08 to provide funding for a two-

week training course for 60 therapists working in community mental health centers, rape crisis

centers, youth violence prevention agencies, agencies providing adolescent sex offender therapy,

and similar agencies in the Native American community. This two-week training program would

provide participating therapists with credentials for the treatment of sexually abusive youth. Each

participating therapist would be required to sign a contract to continue their existing work for

one year following certification. Any unexpended or unencumbered funds would revert to the

general fund at the end of FY08.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

DOH notes that this funding was not included in the FY08 operating budget request and that the

funding appears to be sufficient to accomplish the intent of the bill.

House Bill 166 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

House Bill 166 would increase the number of therapists trained to provide treatment to sexually

abusive youth in New Mexico by 60 individuals statewide. Recent research suggests that there

are important distinctions between juvenile and adult sexual offenders. There is little evidence to

support the assumption that the majority of juvenile sexual offenders are destined to become

adult sexual offenders. The significantly lower frequency of more extreme forms of sexual

aggression, fantasy, and compulsivity among juveniles than among adults suggests that many

juveniles have sexual behavior problems that may be more amenable to intervention. In fact,

recent prospective and clinical outcome studies suggest that many juveniles who sexually abuse

will cease this behavior by the time they reach adulthood, especially if they are provided with

specialized treatment and supervision.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

DOH notes that implementation of House Bill 166 would require the development and release of

a RFP to identify an appropriate organization able to provide training and certification for

treatment of sexually abusive youth. Additionally, DOH would have to identify a contract

manager to ensure adequate completion of training tasks and adherence to requirement that

participants provide treatment for one year following certification.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

Sexual violence is a serious problem in New Mexico. Research from the National Violence

Against Women Prevention Research Center (NVAWPRC) suggests that 19% of New Mexican

adult women have been raped at least once during their lifetime. This rate places New Mexico

9th in the nation for lifetime prevalence of rape among adult women in the US. Unpublished

results from the Statewide Survey of Victimization in New Mexico in 2006 found that 24% of

females and 5% of males have been victims of completed or attempted rapes in 2005. Survey

results also showed that 33% of all adult women and 7% of adult men (18 and older) in New

Mexico have been victims of completed or attempted rape sometime in their life.

Sexual assaults committed by youth are a growing concern. Currently, it is estimated that

adolescents (ages 13 to 17) account for up to one-fifth of all rapes and one-half of all cases of

child molestation committed each year nationwide (Barbaree, Hudson, and Seto, 1993).

GG/csd