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

SPONSOR Stewart

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/1/2007

HB 311

SHORT TITLE Expand UNM Sustainabilities Studies Program

SB

ANALYST McOlash

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$307.6

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB 269.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD)

New Mexico Economics Development (NMED)

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 311 appropriates $307,582 from the General Fund to the Regents of UNM for

expenditure in FY 2008 to fund expansion of the Sustainability Studies Program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $307,582 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.

The UNM request included:

Personnel (Recurring) $281,929

Expenses (Non-Recurring) 25,653

TOTAL $307,582

House Bill 311 – Page

2

The “Expenses" are not specified and would appear to be more appropriately categorized as

recurring.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Sustainability Studies at UNM provides a multidisciplinary minor degree to train students in the

critical areas of clean energy, non-polluting transportation, local pure food production, green

building and design, and systems thinking.

Sustainability Studies addresses problems associated with climate change, carbon emissions, acid

rain, nuclearism, energy dependency, resource depletion, neoliberalism, poverty, ecosystem

collapse and war, with solutions that are equally accessible to all. Sustainability Studies includes

research and develop technologies AND decision making processes that not only meet the needs,

but also include the interests of all communities, while protecting our environment and fostering

economic vitality for all.

This proposal was submitted by UNM to HED, but was not included in the Department's funding

recommendation for FY08.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

House Bill 311 is related to HB 269: (Enacting the Sustainable Development Testing Site Act) in

that it could provide a research venue for faculty and/or students enrolled in the Sustainability

Studies Program.

BM/nt