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committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports

if they are used for other purposes.

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

SPONSOR Vigil

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/23/08

1/28/08 HB 102/aHEC

SHORT TITLE NM Highlands Ben D. Altamirano Institute

SB

ANALYST Haug

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$300.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of HEC Amendment

The House Education Committee amendment redirects the appropriation from New Mexico

Highlands University to Western New Mexico University.

Synopsis of Original Bill

House Bill 102 appropriates $300.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New

Mexico Highlands University to establish the Ben D. Altamirano institute.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $300.0 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 HED states that this request was submitted by NMHU to the New Mexico Higher Education

Department and was not included in the Department’s funding recommendation for FY09.

House Bill 102/ aHEC – Page

2

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

classifies this project as a “does not fit within HED priorities for Higher Education" 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

The HED states that NMHU’s Ben D. Altamirano Institute aims to provide workshops and

seminars for high school students and parents; involve educational and motivational activities to

encourage students to enroll in higher education; emphasize reading, writing, math and

leadership skills.

According to NMHU, Prior to FY07 funding was provided to Luna Community college to fund

the Ben Altamirano Institute. During the 2006 legislative session, $300.0 non-recurring (section

5) was appropriated to NMHU for the Ben Altamirano Institute. The 2007 Legislative session

did not provide funding for this program. NMHU considers this program to be viable and has

continued the program at a much reduced effort in FY08.

GH/mt:bb