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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

1/23/08

HB 96

SHORT TITLE NM Highlands Native American Recruitment

SB

ANALYST Haug

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$72.6

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU)

Public Education Department (PED)

Indian Affairs Department (IAD)

Department of Finance & Administration (DFA)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 96 appropriates $72.6 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico

Highlands University to pay for Native American recruitment.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $72.6 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.

A request was submitted by NMHU in the amount of $72,600 to the New Mexico Higher

Education Department for review. The Department’s funding recommendation for FY09 is a

continuance of FY08 recurring funding in the amount of $44,200 with no additional funding at

this time.

House Bill 96 – Page

2

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

classifies this project as a “supports state priorities" project. Reasons for this 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, p73.)

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

NMHU states that the appropriation is consistent with the University Strategic plan and assists

with the university mission of integrating education, research, public service, and economic

development.

The HED states that the goals and objectives of the program are:

•

To enhance a professional and working relationship with the tribal community

officials and increase access for Native American students with their tribal higher

education and support staff;

•

To increase and maintain a high interest and enrollment rate of Native American

students both academically and financially;

•

To maintain a high retention rate for Native American students at NMHU;

•

To create opportunities for Native American students to become more involved in

bringing cultural events to NMHU;

•

To provide a welcoming, nurturing atmosphere for Native American students at

NMHU.

The PED states that this bill relates to and supports PED’s performance measures regarding:

•

core academic subjects being taught by highly qualified teachers in high-poverty schools,

kindergarten through twelfth grade; and

•

percent of elementary and middle school students to achieve the No Child Left Behind

Act annual measurable objectives for math, reading and language arts.

According to the IAD, the NMHU Native American Services Program (NASP) currently has a

two member staff, of which one staff member is tasked with the responsibility of recruiting

Native American students. The time and effort recruiting from the twenty-two New Mexico

Indian Tribes, Nations and Pueblos is stretched due to the vast territory involved. The

appropriation would fund Native American recruitment efforts. It is anticipated that recruitment

outreach efforts would increase, especially in the remote tribal communities such as New

Mexico’s Navajo Nation Chapters.

The DFA states that HB 96 relates to the performance measure for the institution to increase

Native American student attendance in FY09 to 6.5%.

GH/mt