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

SPONSOR Heaton

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/12/2007

HB 795

SHORT TITLE NM Tech Math & Engineering Career Prep

SB

ANALYST McOlash

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$35.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB 897, HB 795,

HB 20, HB 45, HB 109, HB 111, HB 129, HB 147, HB 220, HB 225,

HB 369, HB 367, HB 367, SB 024, SB 29, SB 032, SB 40, SB 75, SB 131, SB 140, SB 253, SB

256, SB 358

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico State University (NMSU)

Public Education Department (PED)

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 795 appropriates $35,000 from the General Fund to the NM Tech Regents for

expenditure in FY 2008 for an organization dedicated to preparing students for careers in

mathematics, engineering, and the sciences. The funding shall also be used in partnership with

the NMSU Center for Environmental Monitoring in Carlsbad to develop energy curriculum and a

one-week in-depth program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $35,000 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.

House Bill 795 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The organization dedicated to preparing students for careers in mathematics, engineering, and the

sciences appears to be the NM Math Engineering Science Academy (NM MESA), a nonprofit

organization that is part of a national initiative promoting educational enrichment for students

who are underrepresented in higher education. A year-round program prepares students for

careers in mathematics, engineering, science, and related fields and serves students statewide.

MESA students receive enrichment experiences and practical assistance such as tutoring, career

counseling, field trips, college visits, parent and leadership workshops, ACT and SAT

preparation workshops, summer enrichment classes, and scholarship opportunities

The one-week Summer of Science Energy Program is a pilot program to expose students in the

southeast region of the state, an area rich in oil and gas as well as nuclear power (in Eunice), to

energy-related fields. The long-term perspective is to equip these students to work in the local

energy industry.

This request was not submitted by NMSU-Carlsbad or NM Tech to HED for review and is not

included in the Department’s funding recommendation for FY08.

The Executive recommendation does include $2,000,000 for Summer Reading, Math and

Science Institutes.

RELATIONSHIP

The General Appropriation Act (SB 2/HB 7) includes a state appropriation of $180,000 to NM

Tech for Minority, Engineering, Math and Science Program.

House Bill 897 appropriates $211,000 from the General Fund to the Regents of New Mexico

Institute of Mining and Technology (NM Tech) for expenditure in FY 2008 for the following

purposes:

1) $25,000 to provide a one-week, in-depth- summer science of energy

program for students in the southeast region of the state in conjunction with the

Center for Environmental Monitoring at the Carlsbad Branch of NMSU, the

Roswel Branch of ENMU, and the New Mexico Military Institute;

2) $40,000 for a science and engineering summer course to prepare

sophomores and juniors to succeed in related college classes;

3) $20,000 to provide staff professional development in math, engineering,

science, and technically related fields through classes, workshops and

professional conferences; and

4) $126,000 to expand the Mathematics, Engineering and Science

Achievement (MESA) program into seven new public schools.

SB 424 - MATH, ENGINEERING & SCIENCE PROGRAM

HB 20 – SANTA FE TEACHER SCIENCE INSTRUCTION

HB 45 - NM TECH SUMMER SCIENCE PROGRAM

HB 109 - NMSU SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & MATH OUTREACH

HB 111 - SCIENCE EDUCATION & TEACHER OUTREACH PROGRAM

HB 129 - MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER SCIENCE & MATH TRAINING

HB 147 - MINORITY PRE-COLLEGE STUDENT MATH & SCIENCES

House Bill 795 – Page

3

HB 220 - MATHEMATICS & SCIENCE EDUCATION ACT

HB 225 - ALBUQUERQUE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR

HB 369 - OUTDOOR CLASSROOM PROGRAM

HB 367 - ALBUQUERQUE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR

SB 24 - NMSU SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & MATH PROGRAMS

SB 29 – SCIENCE EDUCATION & TEACHER OUTREACH PROGRAM

SB 32 – NMSU PRE-FRESHMEN ENGINEERING PROGRAM

SB 40 – NMSU SPACE CONSORTIUM & OUTREACH PROGRAM

SB 75 – NM TECH SUMMER SCIENCE PROGRAM

SB 131 – ALBUQUERQUE SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR

SB 140 – MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER SCIENCE & MATH TRAINING

SB 253 – SCIENCE EDUCATION & TEACHER OUTREACH

SB 256 – NORTHERN NEW MEXICO NETWORK

SB 358 - SOUTHEAST NM MATH CAREER INITIATIVE

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring & Research Center was created in 1991, as a division

of the Waste-Management Education & Research Consortium (WERC), in the College of

Engineering at New Mexico State University. On September 1, 1999, the Center became a direct

part of the College of Engineering, at NMSU. The Center was established with a grant entitled

"Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Program" (CEMRP) from DOE to NMSU.

The CEMRP was funded initially for $27 million over a seven-year period (1991-1998).

Subsequently, the grant was increased to almost $33 million, and the grant period was extended

to 2008

BM/mt