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

SPONSOR Vigil

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/13/2007

HB 1068

SHORT TITLE

Northern Nm Agricultural Product Study

SB

ANALYST Moser

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$50.0

Non-Rec

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to

HB745

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

NM Department of Higher Education (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 1068 makes an appropriation of $50,000 from the General Fund to the New Mexico

Department of Agriculture for expenditure in FY08 for an agricultural products feasibility study

in San Miguel, Mora, and Guadalupe counties.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $50,000 contained in this bill is a non-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

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), under the control of the NMSU Board of

Regents, is responsible for administering laws and regulations that daily affect the lives of every

House Bill 1068 – Page

2

citizen of the state. These laws and regulations (concerning the production, preparation,

processing, sale, and use of agricultural products; weights and measures; and petroleum

products) are designed to assist producers, processors, and consumers. NMDA’s marketing

program provides guidance to commodity groups in the promotion of agricultural products. A

broad consumer service in many areas other than agriculture is provided by the department.

One program known as the Agricultural Products Feasibility Study will focus efforts in northern

New Mexico. More specifically San Miguel, Mora, and Guadalupe counties where agricultural

products will undergo a feasibility study to determine specialty crops aimed to improve the

economic viability of New Mexico’s rural economy.

This proposal was not submitted to the HED by NMSU and is not included in the department’s

funding recommendation for FY08.

GM/mt