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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Martinez
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
HB 99
SHORT TITLE NMSU-Grants Physical Education Program
SB
ANALYST Escudero
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY08
FY09
$50.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Higher Education Department (HED)
New Mexico State University – Grants (NMSU-Grants)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 99 appropriates $50.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico
State University for Physical Education and Wellness Programs at he Grants campus.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $50.0 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.
NMSU submitted this request in the amount of $50,000 to the New Mexico Higher Education
Department (NMHED) for review. It is not included in the Department's FY09 funding
recommendation.
The HED’s evaluation table of FY09 Research and Public Service Projects provided to the LFC
classifies this project as a “breach" of the Higher Education Formula. 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, p74.)
pg_0002
House Bill 99 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
•
According to HED, the purpose of this funding is to provide start-up support to NMSU
Grants to hire full-time faculty for development of fitness and wellness programs. NMSU
Grants lacks full-time faculty to direct physical education and wellness academic
programming. Without full-time staff, the school must rely on adjunct faculty. Adjuncts
are considered part time and usually have full-time jobs off campus.
•
Well developed and expanded education and wellness programs will benefit the students
and the community. Students can use these programs to prepare for other careers such as
the Correctional Officer Training Academy (COTA). Classes will offer the opportunity
for dual enrollment in support of COTA.
•
These expanded programs will also benefit the rural and minority communities. Studies
have shown that there is a high rate of diabetes affecting minority populations in New
Mexico. Well-developed education and wellness programs can have a positive impact on
this disease. These benefits require a full-time staff member who will be able to develop
programs for health and fitness that will be available for students and the community.
•
According to NMSU-Grants, this funding will provide startup support to NMSU-Grants
to hire a faculty person dedicated to development of physical education/wellness
academic programming for students which include the Cadet Officer Training Academy
for prison officers.
•
NMSU-Grants is investing BR&R funding to remodel Fidel Activities Center gymnasium
to add an elevator to become ADA compliant. Within Fidel Center there exists a second
floor adding about 25% additional space to the facility that has been unusable because it
has not been ADA compliant. This remodel will provide for expanded academic
instructional space to build fitness/wellness program and thus build added formula
revenue source for NMSU-Grants.
•
NMSU-Grants Cadet Officer Training Academy (COTA) includes a great deal of
physical fitness activities to prepare prison staff for physical rigor required in law
enforcement careers.
•
In addition, a high rate of diabetes in minority populations in New Mexico (Native
American and Hispanic) which can stress rural health care systems can be supported
through expanded access to physical education and wellness programming in Cibola
County that encourages “wellness" instead of illness. A Junior Officer Law Enforcement
Training program for dual enrollment students modeled after the COTA is also preparing
the student pipeline into the career pathway for law enforcement personnel in New
Mexico.
PME/mt