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

SPONSOR Gonzales

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

01/27/08

HB 368

SHORT TITLE Talpa Alcohol Treatment Services

SB

ANALYST Geisler

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$84.6

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to: HB 369

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Human Services Department (HSD)

Department of Health (DOH)

Corrections Department

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 368 would appropriate $84,600 to the Department of Health (DOH) for expenditure

in fiscal year 2009 to contract for alcohol and substance abuse treatment services in Talpa in

Taos County, including curriculum materials and administrative services. Any unexpended

balance at the end of the fiscal year shall revert to the general fund.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

Behavioral Health Services are now managed out of the Human Services Department (HSD),

since the behavioral health services division was transferred from DOH at the start of FY08.

HSD notes that HB 368 is not included as part of the behavioral health collaborative priorities or

strategic plan and is not included in the Governor’s FY09 executive Budget. This request with

an appropriation for $80,000 was introduced in the 2007 Regular Legislative session and was

incorporated into SB 611 (§25.56) as a $70,000 appropriation to the Local Government Division

of the Department of Finance and Administration. HSD adds that the bill does not specify what

House Bill 368 -- page

2

type of alcohol and substance abuse treatment services would be provided, and how much of the

appropriation would be used for non-treatment services. It is therefore not possible to assess

whether the proposals are likely to be effective or to assist in recovery and resilience.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DOH notes that Talpa is a residential community of approximately 800 people in Taos County,

located about five miles south of the town of Taos. In Taos County, 43% of all fatal motor

vehicle crashes involved alcohol (Office of New Mexico Vital Records and Health Statistics,

2003 data is most recent. No data specific to Talpa are available). Taos County residents have

high rates of alcohol and substance use related consequences. Taos County rates 8th highest in

the state for alcohol-related (AR) deaths, 7th for AR chronic disease deaths, 5th for AR motor

vehicle crash deaths, 8th for adult binge drinking and chronic/heavy drinking, 3rd for adult

drinking and driving, 6th for youth binge drinking, 5th for youth drinking and driving, and 1st

for youth drug use (New Mexico SPF-SIG State Epidemiology Profile, Spring 2005).

DOH adds that HB 368 would be strengthened by clarifying the entity that will be involved in

delivering alcohol and substance abuse treatment in the town of Talpa. The target population,

specific type of services to be contracted, and the specific curriculum to be used are not

identified. Currently, all behavioral health treatment resources are administered by the Human

Services Department through a single behavioral health entity. Tri County Community Services

provides outpatient alcohol and substance abuse treatment services and social detoxification

services in Taos.

RELATIONSHIP

HB 368 relates to HB 369, which would appropriate which would appropriate $140,000 to DOH

for expenditure in fiscal year 2009 to contract for long-term drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation

in Taos County.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

Corrections notes that if the bill enables Taos area residents to receive long-term receive

alcohol/drug treatment and care, it reduces the likelihood that certain individuals will commit

new crimes (while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, in order to get money to buy more

drugs or alcohol, etc.). Thus, it could indirectly lead to fewer convictions, and thus a decrease in

the Department’s prison population. Further, by providing treatment services, it could give

individuals on probation or parole in the Taos area another coping mechanism to use to avoid

committing new crimes and committing violations of their conditions of probation/ parole. This

could also cause a decrease in the Department’s probation/parole caseloads. The contract/private

prison annual cost of incarcerating an inmate is $25,455 per year for males. The cost per client

to house a female inmate at a privately operated facility is $25,805 per year.

AMENDMENT

On line 17, strike Department of Health and replace with Human Services Department.

GG/bb