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

SPONSOR Salazar

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/09/2007

2/20/2007 HB 660/aHEC

SHORT TITLE

UNM Health Sciences Center Career Pathways

SB

ANALYST Moser

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$1,855.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates: SB299

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

NM Department of Higher Education (HED)

Department of Health (DOH)

Health Policy Commission (HPC)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of HEC Amendment

House Education Committee Amendment to House Bill 660 adds the following language: “The

program identifies candidates for health professions as early as middle school, particularly those

from minority ethnic communities who lack financial resources or who need improvement in

English language skills, and provides for mentoring and training that will improve the likelihood

of those identified candidates being accepted into medical school or other health fields." This

additional language supports the importance and need for the UNM Health Careers Pathway

Program.

Synopsis of Original Bill

House Bill 660 appropriates $1,855,000 from the General Fund for expenditure in FY08 and

FY09 to the Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico (UNM) for the Health Sciences

House Bill 660/aHEC – Page

2

Center (HSC). Funding would be used to encourage students underrepresented in the health

sciences to enter and graduate from health or allied health professions programs.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $1,855,000 contained in this bill appears on the surface to be non-recurring

expense to the General fund. However, this funding is sought by UNMHSC due to the loss of

federal funds that have previously sustained this program. It would appear that this funding is

truly recurring. This issue will need to be clarified as this bill moves forward.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of Fiscal Year 09 shall revert to

the general Fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

These programs strive to build diversity in the health professions by providing underrepresented

students the opportunity to develop the skills needed to successfully compete for admission to

and graduation from health professions programs. The Office of Diversity coordinates the

flagship educational pipeline for New Mexico students interested in medical professions. The

programs have been funded through federal grants from the Department of Health Resources and

Services Administration (HRSA) and the Health Careers Opportunity Programs (HCOP);

however, these funds are rapidly dwindling due to other federal budget priorities.

Both PED and the HED indicate that the educational pipeline begins at the middle-school level

and continues to medical school and includes:

•

Dream Makers Health Careers Clubs (middle school program)

•

Health Careers Academy (high school program)

•

Undergraduate Health Sciences Enrichment Program (UNM undergraduate program)

•

New Mexico Clinical Education Program (pre-UNM School of Medicine program)

HED points out that this proposal was not submitted to the HED by UNM nor was it included as

either a priority of UNM board of regents or in the HED request for funding in FY08.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

PED indicates that while this legislation is not linked to any specific performance measures for

the PED, stipends for students in the health sciences field may encourage more individuals to

enter into health or allied health professions, which may assist New Mexico and public schools

with the nursing and other health professional shortage. Having a career path may encourage

attendance thus increasing academic achievement.

GM/mt:csd