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.

Current FIRs (in HTML & Adobe PDF formats) are a vailable on the NM Legislative Website (legis.state.nm.us).

Adobe PDF versions include all attachments, whereas HTML versions may not. Previously issued FIRs and

attachments may be obtained from the LFC in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.

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

SPONSOR Feldman

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/21/2007

HB

SHORT TITLE New Mexico-Grown Produce For School Lunches

SB 90

ANALYST McOlash

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$1,440.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to House Bill 264

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA)

New Mexico Department of Health (DOH)

New Mexico Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 90 appropriates $1,440,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of New

Mexico State University for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture for expenditure in FY08

and subsequent fiscal years to purchase New Mexico-grown fresh fruits and vegetables and to

administer a program ensuring that such fresh fruits and vegetables are delivered to school lunch

programs statewide

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $1.44 million contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the General

Fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall not

revert to the General Fund.

Senate Bill 90 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Senate Bill 90 is supported by the New Mexico Task Force to End Hunger. A goal in both the

Department of Health Strategic Plan and the Governor’s Performance and Accountability

Contract “A Healthy New Mexico" is to reduce child and adolescent obesity and diabetes in all

populations. and vegetables. The essence of this bill has been presented to the Legislative

Finance Committee and is a priority of the Rural Economic Development and

Telecommunications Legislative Interim Committee as well as the Health and Human Services

Legislative Interim Committee.

Funds for this program are supported by Governor Richardson, but at the level of $965,500

.

RELATIONSHIP

Senate Bill 90 relates to House Bill 264 which provides for expenditures only in FY08 and the

reversion of unexpended or unencumbered balances at the end of FY 2008.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has piloted a similar program, entitled the

USDA Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program. Almost all schools participating in USDA’s Fruit and

Vegetable Pilot Program (FVPP) consider the program to be very successful and would like the

pilot to continue. The Nutrition Title of the 2002 Farm Act provided $6 million to the FVPP for

the 2002-2003 school years to improve fruit and vegetable consumption among the Nation’s

school children. The FVPP provided fresh and dried fruits and fresh vegetables free to children

in 107 elementary and secondary schools, including seven schools in the Zuni Indian Tribal

Organization in New Mexico.

BM/nt:csd