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 Komadina

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/13/2007

HB

SHORT TITLE

MINING IMPACT, HISTORY & CULTURE DVD

SB 856

ANALYST Moser

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$250.0

Non-Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

NM Department of Higher Education (HED)

Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources (EMNRD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 856 appropriates $250,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of New

Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMIMT) for expenditure in FY08 to produce, in

coordination with the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (NMBGMR),

digital video discs about the history of mining in New Mexico, about the impact of mining on

New Mexico culture and economic development, and about mine safety.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $250,000 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

Appropriation from SB856 would be used to hire a production company, video equipment, and

Senate Bill 856 – Page

2

staff to produce several videos that will focus on the history of mining in New Mexico, the

impact of mining on New Mexico culture, and mine safety. Videos could be made available for

distribution to public schools.

NMIMT was originally founded in 1889 as the New Mexico School of Mines. Over the years,

the school’s mission has expanded, and NMIMT is now an outstanding research university,

specializing in areas of science, engineering, and related fields.

Students come to NMIMT for its outstanding academic reputation, one-to-one mentoring

relationship with professors, hands-on laboratory learning experiences, opportunities for on-

campus employment in one of the many research facilities or with research faculty.

NMIMT is a world leader in many areas of research, including hydrology, astrophysics,

atmospheric physics, geophysics, homeland security, information technology, geosciences,

energetic materials engineering, and petroleum recovery.

Established by legislation in 1927, NMBGMR is a research and service division of the NMIMT.

NMBGMR is a non-regulatory agency that serves as the geological survey for the State of New

Mexico. Through its offices and website, NMBGMR’s staff serves the diverse population of

New Mexico. Staff is actively engaged in research projects throughout the state and the region.

This research benefits the citizens of New Mexico by improving understanding of the physical

environment, mineral and energy resources, water, and how the landscape of our geologically

spectacular state has evolved through time.

The Geologic Extension Service (GES) coordinates information resources and services at the

NMBGMR. The GES also conducts teacher and student workshops and provides displays and

Earth Science information at teacher conferences and other educational gatherings.

The New Mexico Library of Subsurface Data houses records of thousands of wells drilled in

New Mexico-including cuttings from selected wells and a variety of borehole logs such as

electric, sonic, and gamma ray. A collection of up-to-date petroleum-exploration maps includes

most counties. Coal and uranium geophysical logs are available as well. The Library has been

expanded in recent years to include cuttings, cores, and geophysical logs from water wells.

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

department’s funding recommendation for FY08.

GM/mt