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 Campos

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/10/2007

HB

SHORT TITLE NM Highlands Athletic Program

SB 789

ANALYST Moser

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$300.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates:

SB681, HB704, HB809

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

NM Department of Higher Education (NMDHE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 789 appropriates $300,000 from the General Fund to New Mexico Highlands

University (NMHU) for expenditure in FY08 for athletic programs at the university.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $300,000 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.

The primary athletic expenses for Division II teams nationally are grants in aid to students and

salaries for coaches. HED states that NMHU plans to use the funding for the women’s rodeo

program and the men’s wrestling program.

Senate Bill 789 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

HED indicates that NMHU anticipates enrolling close to 300 athletes in the 2006-07 seasons.

Hundreds of clients use the facilities from various youth and community sports groups. HED

states that student athletes have a higher grade point average than traditional non-athlete

students, and they graduate in fewer semesters.

Student-athletes who participate in sports at NMHU compete in Division II of the National

Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).

The RMAC is comprised of 14 rival schools, ten in Colorado, two in Nebraska, and two in New

Mexico--WNMU and NMHU.

NMHU offers a wide range of participation opportunities for both men and women, including

five NCAA championship sports for men--Football, Cross Country, Basketball, Baseball, and

Wrestling; and six NCAA championship programs for women’s Cross Country, Track,

Volleyball, Soccer, Basketball, and Softball. Although not an NCAA activity, the Women’s

Rodeo Club, which is sanctioned by the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA),

provides women with the opportunity to compete in the Grand Canyon Region, consisting of

Arizona and New Mexico Junior Colleges and four-year institutions.

NMHU submitted a request for funding to NMHED. The department’s funding recommendation

for FY08 is in the amount of $1,851,500 which includes an increase of $250,000 to the FY07

recurring funding of $1,601,500.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

HED states that SB789 relates to the following bills:

•

SB681: $250,000 each to NMHU, WNMU, ENMU and NNMSS (NNMC) for higher

education athletic programs.

•

HB704: $75,000 to DFA to encourage parent participation at athletic events in Las

Vegas, New Mexico.

•

HB809: $134,383 to NMHU for the Intercollegiate Rodeo Athletic Program.

GM/nt