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

SPONSOR Salazar

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

01/25/08

HB 127

SHORT TITLE Senior Citizens Programs

SB

ANALYST Geisler

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$8,204.0

Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Aging and Long-Term Services Department (ALTSD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 127 appropriates $8,204,014 from the general fund to ALTSD to maintain and/or

enhance services to senior citizens statewide for the following purposes:

1)

$6,869,430 to the four area agencies on aging for senior centers, adult day care, case

management, meals programs, in-home services, transportation and other related services for

seniors;

2)

$620,674 for volunteer programs, including retired senior volunteers, senior companions and

foster grandparents;

3)

$524,500 for information, assistance, education and respite services for caregivers and

persons with Alzheimer's disease, related disorders, other chronic illnesses or functional

impairments;

4)

$189,410 for senior health promotion activities, including senior Olympics.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The $8.2 million appropriation contained in this bill would be in addition to $35.1 million in base

FY 08 funding for aging network programs. In addition, both the executive and legislative

finance committee (LFC) are recommending expansion funding for the aging network, with the

LFC recommending $750 thousand and the executive recommending $400 thousand.

House Bill 127 – Page

2

ALSTD notes that aging network providers, area agency's on aging and ALTSD went through an

extensive process of review and refining the request. Of the $8.2 million in the legislation, $2

million is for maintenance of effort, $5.5 million is for enhanced or new services and $651

thousand is for unfunded facilities.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Statewide, aging network providers have been facing an increased demand for services fueled by

the rapid growth in New Mexico's older adult population due to the aging of the general

population, as well as an influx of retirees to our state. As these seniors "age in place" many

develop chronic health conditions and functional limitations that in-crease their needs for

supportive services. Aging network services are primarily targeted to persons age 60 and older

and their family caregivers, with an emphasis on those with the greatest economic and social

needs. Often, Aging Network providers are the only providers available in New Mexico's rural

and tribal communities. Aging Network providers have been greatly impacted by the rising cost

of gasoline, particularly with regard to services such as transportation for elders to medical

appointments or meal sites, as well as home delivered meals and other in-home services which

are dependent upon vehicles to transport home care workers and meals to seniors' homes. The

appropriation will be used to support increased demands for services, maintain existing services

and support increased operations in several new facilities.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

Aging Network providers include senior centers, meals programs, adult day care centers,

volunteer programs, employment training sites, home care agencies and senior Olympics. These

providers support caregivers and seniors, helping families remain together, in their own homes

and communities, throughout New Mexico. Aging Network providers create a safety net for the

vast majority of New Mexico's elders, those who don't qualify for Medicaid, but whose financial

resources are limited, those whose families are stretched to capacity caring for loved ones at

home. Volunteer and other civic engagement opportunities, including employment training,

enable older adults to remain active vital members of their communities. Meals programs help

prevent hunger among older adults; health promotion activities keep elders well so they can

continue to contribute to their local communities. Financial subsidies offered by employment

programs and volunteer stipends help seniors maintain economic independence. The Aging

Network is the only resource for many New Mexicans. Without additional funding, these

providers will be forced to develop waiting lists or decrease hours of service. Advocates for

seniors and Aging Network providers developed the funding targets in this request through a

collaborative, grass-roots process of identifying local community needs.

GG/bb