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

SPONSOR Rawson

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/24/08

HB

SHORT TITLE NMSU Nursing Education Program

SB 104

ANALYST Haug

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$1,925.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relationship

SB77, SB14, HB97, HB185, HB66

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

New Mexico State University (NMSU)

Department of Health (DOH)

New Mexico Health Policy Commission (HPC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 104 appropriates $1,925.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New

Mexico State University to improve the Nursing Education Program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $1,925.0 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.

The HED states that a request was submitted by NMSU in the amount of $1,925,000 to the New

Mexico Higher Education Department for review. The Department’s funding recommendation

for FY09 is a continuance of FY08 recurring funding in the amount of $774,700 with no

additional funding at this time.

House Bill 104 – Page

2

The HED’s evaluation table of FY09 Research and Public Service Projects provided to the LFC

classifies this project as a “breach" of the Higher Education Formula. 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, p74.)

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

NMSU states:

This bill proposes to strengthen the existence of well-planned curriculum of four specific

nursing programs. The BSN program is offered as a four year traditional program and as

an accelerated (Roadrunner) program in which students seeking a second degree are able

to become registered nurses within a 16 month period. In addition, the RN-BSN program

with partnering branch sites at Alamogordo, Carlsbad, Doña Ana, and Farmington offers

its courses via interactive TV and contributes to the increase of baccalaureate prepared

nurses. The MSN program with four distinct tracks (administration, adult health,

community/public health, and mental health) prepares both clinical practitioners as well

as administrators. In addition, the MSN offers a minor in nursing education improving

the faculty shortage. All the courses in the MSN program are offered online; thus

increasing their accessibility. The newly established PhD program prepares individuals

to assume leadership roles in academia and health care settings, emphasizing teaching,

research, and professional service activities.

Two HRSA grants that were funded three years ago were not re-funded for Academic

Year 07-08. (HED notes that HRSA grants are for a short period and for start-up and

require continuation by the institution or by the state.)

These grants benefited the

accelerated BSN program and the mental health program. Both of these programs grew

more than 75% and graduates have done remarkably well in certifying examinations.

Recurring funding is desirable to position NMSU and the school of nursing as major

producers of quality graduates. The traditional four year BSN program currently admits

48 students. The School of Nursing’s plan is to increase the admissions to total 112 by

fall 2008. This represents a 57 % increase in enrollment which increases tuition and fees

revenues. There is a need to fund these programs with a well established base in order for

them to develop into state and nationally known entities.

The HPC states that there are nineteen (19) programs of nursing in New Mexico; sixteen (16)

public schools programs and three (3) proprietary programs. Fifteen programs (15) function

under full approval status, one program functions under conditional approval status and three (3)

programs function under initial approval status granted by the New Mexico Board of Nursing.

Two of these programs offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, five (5) programs offer an

Associate Degree in Nursing, eleven (11) programs offer both an Associate Degree in Nursing

and a Practical Nursing Certificate and one program offers a Practical Nursing Certificate. Two

(2) of the programs that offer a Practical Nursing Certificate; APS Career Enrichment Center and

Clovis Community College, combine their programs with high school education. NM citizens

receive nursing care from students enrolled in these programs under supervision of faculty and

facility nurses and other health care providers. New Mexico State University is included the list

of programs of Nursing approved by the New Mexico Board of Nursing. Source: Board of

Nursing Annual Report for the Fiscal Year (July1, 2006-June 30, 2007).

House Bill 104 – Page

3

RELATIONSHIP

SB 104 is related to:

Senate Bill 14, Health Professional Recruitment & Retention

Senate Bill 77 would appropriate six hundred sixty-four thousand six hundred fifty-eight dollars

($664,658) from the general fund to the Board of Regents of Western New Mexico University

for expenditure in Fiscal Year 2009 to expand the nursing program and to adjust nursing faculty

salaries in order to retain qualified staff.

House Bill 185 would appropriate $2,237,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of

the University of New Mexico for expenditures in Fiscal Year 2009 for the College of Nursing to

expand enrollment and alleviate the shortage of nurses in NM.

House Bill 66 would appropriate $100,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of

New Mexico State University for expenditure in Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) to expand the

Carlsbad Campus Nursing Program.

House Bill 97, NMSU-Grants Nursing Clinical Lab.

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