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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Hamilton
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2/6/2007
HB 400
SHORT TITLE WNMU Chicano/a Institute
SB
ANALYST Guambaña
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
$95.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates SB 268.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Higher Education Department (HED)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 400 appropriates $95,000 from the General Fund to Western New Mexico University
for the Chicano/a Institute.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $95,000 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.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
WNMU contends that Hispanic students constitute 40% of their student enrollment. Senate Bill
268 would enable the creation of the Chicano/a Institute which would offer education programs
that promote understanding of the intellectual, philosophical, and social development issues
pg_0002
House Bill 400 – Page
2
surrounding its Hispanic student population. The Chicano/a Institute would aim toward the
development of additional Chicano Studies courses that would constitute a major. According to
WNMU, there is substantial student interest in the development of a Chicano/a Institute which
thereby has an impact on access to higher education for a historically underserved population as
well as an increase in retention rates. House Bill 400 would support both program development
activities as well as one full time employee to manage these activities.
AG/nt