Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance

committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports

if they are used for other purposes.

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

SPONSOR Rawson

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/26/2007

1/29/2007 HB

SHORT TITLE Improve NMSU Nursing Education Program

SB 38

ANALYST McOlash

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$440.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB 107.

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Acts (HB 7 and SB 2.)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico State University – School of Nursing (NMSU-N)

Health Policy Commission (HPC)

Board of Nursing (BN)

Department of Health (DOH)

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 38 appropriates $440,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of NMSU

in FY 2008 “to improve the nursing education program."

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $440,000 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.

Senate Bill 38 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

NMSU – N indicates the request will increase funds to support education of professional nurses

at BSN entry level, RN to BSN, and graduate nursing levels, including a Ph.D. program to

address the recognized nursing shortage throughout the state/region.

The proposal of $440,000 was submitted to the New Mexico Higher Education Department by

NMSU and was included in the Department’s funding recommendation for FY08 in the amount

of $749,700 - an increase of $300,000.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

Senate Bill 38 represents an untargeted response to the well documented nursing and nursing

faculty shortage within the state and nation. NMSU–N specifies an increase funds will support

education of professional nurses at BSN entry level, RN to BSN, and graduate nursing levels.

Neither Senate Bill 38 nor NMSU-N provides performance measure information or clear

explanations about how these funds will be used.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

House Bill 107 (NMSU Nursing Education Program) is a duplicate of Senate Bill 38 (Improve

NMSU Nursing Education Program), except for the title.

The General Appropriation Acts (HB 7 and SB 2) include an appropriation of $3.5 million for

the Higher Education Enhancement Fund to address the state’s nursing shortage. The bills also

include $500,000 to provide supplemental compensation for nursing faculty and staff.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

Senate Bill 38 and House Bill 107 are not duplicates since the titles differ.

BM/csd