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

SPONSOR Robinson

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/12/07

HB

SHORT TITLE

Create UNM Art, Research, Tech & Science Lab

SB 387

ANALYST Moser

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

Nm Department of Higher Education (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 387 appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of the

University of New Mexico (UNM) for expenditure in FY08 for the creation of the art, research,

technology, and science laboratory special project.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $500,000 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

HED advises that the UNM Associate Vice President of Government and Community stated that

the Art, Research, Technology, and Science Laboratory (ARTS Lab) is already established, but

that this funding would be used for hiring personnel.

Senate Bill 387 – Page

2

According to UNM's Legislative Priorities, the need for $4,755,900 for the Film and Digital

Media program includes funding for Personnel (recurring) in the amount of $607,200 and for

Expenses (non-recurring) in the amount of $4,148,700. This priority Builds on the Arts Research

Technology and Science Laboratory (ARTS Lab), established at UNM, with a three million

dollar grant under Governor Richardson’s Media Industries Strategic Plan (MISP) as a

multidisciplinary media research and teaching education center. The mission is to be the key

educational, research, and economic development center for New Mexico’s Media Industries

Strategic Plan."

This request was not submitted by UNM to HED for review and is not included in the

department’s funding recommendation for FY08.

GM/mt