Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance
committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports
if they are used for other purposes.
Current FIRs (in HTML & Adobe PDF formats) are a vailable on the NM Legislative Website (legis.state.nm.us).
Adobe PDF versions include all attachments, whereas HTML versions may not. Previously issued FIRs and
attachments may be obtained from the LFC in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.
F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Steinborn
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
1/28/08
HB 403
SHORT TITLE Sustainable Agriculture Research Center
SB
ANALYST Haug
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY08
FY09
$100.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplication SB42
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Higher Education Department (HED)
Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources Department (EMNRD)
No Response
New Mexico State University (NMSU)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 403 appropriates $100.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New
Mexico State University to provide education, outreach and research to be conducted by the
Sustainable Agriculture Research Education Center.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $100.0 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 not on the list of priority projects submitted by NMSU to the New Mexico
Higher Education Department and was not included in the Department’s funding
recommendation for FY09.
pg_0002
House Bill 403 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
The HED states that NMSU’s center located in Alcalde, New Mexico is dedicated to research on
sustainable agriculture and related issues to benefit small family farms and ranches of north
central New Mexico. Small farms have been critical to the fabric of American society throughout
the nation’s history. Today, as historically, the vast majority of all farms in the United States are
small (92 percent). The viability and sustainability of these farms is important to our nation’s
economy, to the wise stewardship of our biological and natural resources, and to the leadership
and social fabric of rural communities. Their economic contribution is important to the State of
New Mexico and is especially critical to the thousands of rural communities where they pay
taxes and to the thousands of businesses they support.
The ENMRD states that the primary mission of the Sustainable Agriculture Research Education
Center is to provide a mechanism for faculty to conduct research and deliver education and
extension programs on sustainable agriculture systems for crop, vegetable, fruit, nut, flower, herb
and livestock production.
The ENMRD also notes that According to the September 10, 2007 Small Farm Institute
Committee’s recommendation to the New Mexico State University Dean of the College of
Agriculture and Home Economics:
•
Agriculture has played an important cultural, economic and environmental role in the
survival of the people in New Mexico. Many New Mexicans that make their living in
agriculture would be classified as small farmers.
•
With increasing urbanization and the loss of family farms to development there is a
tremendous opportunity for New Mexico State University to play a proactive roll in
increasing its capacity to address the needs of small farmers and ranchers throughout
New Mexico.
•
The Small Farm Institute Committee recommends a Sustainable Agriculture Research-
Education Center be established near the New Mexico State University main campus.
Establishing such a center will allow New Mexico State University to address both
research and educational needs of small farms in New Mexico for present and future
generations.
DUPLICATION
Senate Bill 42 is a duplicate.
GH/bb