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

SPONSOR Hall

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/13/07

HB 1029

SHORT TITLE Family Advocacy Center in Albuquerque

SB

ANALYST Propst

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$500.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 1029 appropriates $500.0 from the General Fund to fund operating costs for a family

advocacy center administered by the City of Albuquerque.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $500.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the General Fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 shall revert to the

General Fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to a study by the University of New Mexico 1 in 3 women and 1 in 7 men will be

victims of violence in their lifetime. Almost 70% of rape victims are under 18 years of age and

the offenders were adults. In 2005, 20% of homicides were related to domestic violence in

Bernalillo County.

House Bill 1029 – Page

2

DFA reports that this is a new program and the proposed appropriation will fund operational

costs associated with start up of the Family Advocacy Center. The center will be staffed by both

law enforcement agencies as well as various victim service providers. This center will offer a

wide range of services under the same roof reducing trauma to the victim. Providing these

services in the same facility will allow for the secured collection of evidence and subsequently

increase the conviction rates and minimize collection errors which may result in case dismissals.

CYFD currently funds five programs in the greater Albuquerque area (Bernalillo, Sandoval,

Valencia) for adult survivors/victims and child witnesses to domestic violence. These programs

could partner with the Family Advocacy Center to ensure that currently funded services of crisis

intervention, life skills, case management, counseling, and legal advocacy are not duplicated.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

DFA would enter into a Grant Agreement with the City of Albuquerque for the funds. The City

of Albuquerque will request reimbursement on behalf of the Family Advocacy Center for

expenditures.

The City of Albuquerque is in the process of entering into a lease agreement with the owner of

the selected site. The Family Advocacy Center will then sublease the facility and provide

services to the community to satisfy any anti-donation violation issues.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

DFA suggests that the program would be better assigned to the Department of Health. DFA/

LGD does not have sufficient staff to provide oversight for such an activity or program.

WEP/mt