Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance

committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports

if they are used for other purposes.

Current FIRs (in HTML & Adobe PDF formats) are a vailable on the NM Legislative Website (legis.state.nm.us).

Adobe PDF versions include all attachments, whereas HTML versions may not. Previously issued FIRs and

attachments may be obtained from the LFC in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.

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

SPONSOR Stewart

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1-26-07

HB 312

SHORT TITLE Water Conservation Conference Participation

SB

ANALYST Woods

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

NFI

$40.0

Non-recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Office of the State Engineer (OSE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 312 seeks to appropriate $40,000 from the general fund to the Office of the State

Engineer for expenditure in fiscal year 2008 to pay for costs of fifty participants to attend the

water conservation conference in Albuquerque. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance

remaining at the end of fiscal year 2008 shall revert to the general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

OSE notes that this bill provides that the state will pay for fifty people to attend the Water

Conservation Conference in Albuquerque. Although not specified, it is assumed that it is the

Xeriscape council of NM’s annual conference on water related issues that they will attend. It is a

3- day event and costs associated with attendance include room, board, travel, and conference

registration.

House Bill 312 – Page

2

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

OSE indicates that the bill does not identify or indicate the fifty people that will benefit from this

appropriation. It is assumed, therefore, that OSE will coordinate with the Xeriscape council to

select fifty individuals to attend the conference.

OSE further indicates that it is expected that a considerable amount of staff time will be required

to determine how these funds may be legally expended, as the funds cannot be expended in a

manner prohibited by the anti-donation clause of NM’s Constitution (art. IX, § 14).

BFW/csd