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

SPONSOR Begaye

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/17/08

HB 25

SHORT TITLE Tribal Cooperative Extension Centers

SB

ANALYST Haug

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$500.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Indian Affairs Department (IAD)

New Mexico State University (NMSU)

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 25 appropriates $500.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico

State University to start up three tribal cooperative extension centers as a base for intercultural

youth programs, health based programs and natural resource and agricultural information

services which are not currently available in targeted tribal communities.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $500.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any

unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2009 shall revert to the

general fund.

The Higher Education Department includes this project in its recommendation and states that it

would not oppose the bill if funding is available.

The HED’s evaluation table of FY09 Research and Public Service Projects provided to the LFC

classifies this project as a “Would not oppose if funding available" project. Reasons for this

House Bill 25– Page 2

classification decision are not provided. (LFC Report 07-20, Higher Education Department

Review of Selected Research and Public Service Projects, January 12, 2008, Table 4, p74.)

According to NMSU, the following three (3) Tribal Extension Center locations to be supported

by House Bill 25 have been identified and commitments have been secured with each of the

respective Pueblos and Tribes:

1.

Santa Ana Pueblo: Southern Pueblos (Santa Ana, Santo Domingo, Cochiti, Jemez, San

Felipe, Isleta, Zia, Isleta Del Sur and Sandia)

2.

San Juan Pueblo: Eight Northern Pueblos (San Juan, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Taos,

Picuris, Pojoaque, Tesuque, and Nambe)

3.

Laguna and Acoma Pueblos ( Laguna, Acoma, and Zuni)

Tribal cooperative extension centers received a general fund appropriation of $247.0 in the 2007

session. In 2007, NMSU Tribal Extension Centers were established at Diné College in Shiprock,

NM, and at Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint, NM.

NMSU anticipates funding requests in the future for an additional three Tribal Extension Centers

in phase III which will include Jicarilla and Mescalero Apache Nations in addition to providing

more complete coverage of Navajo Nation and Pueblos listed above

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

NMSU plans to continue expanding its cooperative extension community-based education

programs to better serve all 22 Native American communities in New Mexico. The goal of the

pueblo and tribal nations, and supporting agencies and organizations is to develop and implement

permanent cooperative extension service centers in Native American communities. The centers

will be housed in existing tribal schools and cultural centers and will partner with public schools

and tribal colleges to establish sustainable school and community-based education programs, and

natural resources and agriculture information services that are limited or currently not provided.

Goals for the centers’ staff will be to develop programs:

• For youth that include leadership, agriculture and home economic skills, such as

culturally appropriate 4-H programs for kindergarten through high school youth.

• Which provide practical information for all ages about health and nutrition, such

as healthy food choices, food preparation, and diabetes and health programs.

• Designed to involve youth in their tribal culture and language.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

IAD and NMSU report that seventy-nine percent (79%) of Native American college freshmen in

New Mexico drop out during their first year. Through formal partnerships with tribal colleges,

NMSU, the USDA, and other federal agencies, a major goal of community based education is to

increase the number of Native Americans completing college degrees in New Mexico. HB 25

could increase the number of Native American New Mexico students served and the rate of

higher education completed by Native American students by offering local community support

through extension services and programs.

GH/bb