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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Gutierrez
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
1/22/08
HB 175
SHORT TITLE
Dona Ana Court Advocates Program
SB
ANALYST C. Sanchez
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY08
FY09
$100.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 175 appropriates $100,000 in recurring general funds to the Administrative Office of
the Courts (AOC) for court appointed special advocates programs in Dona Aña County. Court
appointed special advocates programs (or CASA programs) train lay volunteers to advocate for
children in abuse and neglect cases and to report on their best interests to the judges in those
cases.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The $100,000 will be distributed from the general fund directly to the Administrative Office of
the Courts. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2009
shall revert to the general fund.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
Additional Funding would help the program train more volunteers and serve more children who
have been abused or neglected.