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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

1/24/08

HB 204

SHORT TITLE NM Highlands Substance Abuse Education

SB

ANALYST Haug

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$150.0

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 Bill

House Bill 204 appropriates $150.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New

Mexico Highlands University to pay for a Substance Abuse Student Education Program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $150.0 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.

This request was submitted to the New Mexico Higher Education Department for review but is

not included in the Department’s legislative recommendation for FY09.

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.)

House Bill 204 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The HED states:

In 2005 a federal grant was awarded to NMHU to help address substance abuse and

suicide rate issues at Highlands University. This year that grant is coming to an end. The

institution fears losing the momentum of the apparent success resulting from on campus

and community efforts implemented in Las Vegas. As such NMHU seeks to maintain and

build the initiative with state appropriations.

The main goal of the program is to provide campus wide drinking/alcohol poisoning, and

violence and prevention training. The intended outcome is to reduce the number of

alcohol related incidences on campus and ultimately to reduce state and business

expenses related to substance abuse. The funding will specifically support

•

The screening of 400 students to learn more about attitudes, behaviors and

perceptions about alcohol and substance abuse issues

•

Provide brief intervention and treatment to 300 students campus wide

NMHU states that this program has been in existence to NMHU since 2005 through federal

funds. The bill replaces federal funds no longer available. Also, the funding is significantly

lower than past federal funding. The appropriation is consistent with the University Strategic

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

and economic development.

GH/nt