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

SPONSOR Ryan

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/18/08

HB

SHORT TITLE Bernalillo County Rehab Transition Facility

SB 137

ANALYST Propst

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$3,200.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Companion to HB 195

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Human Services Department (HSD)

Department of Corrections

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 137, Making an Appropriation for a Residential Rehabilitation and Transition

Facility in Bernalillo County, appropriates $3.2 million from the general fund to DFA for the

purpose of contracting with a private entity to operate a residential rehabilitation facility.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $3.2 million contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY09 shall revert to the

general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

SB 137 appropriates $3.2 million to DFA to contract with a private entity in Bernalillo County to

operate a secure, long-term, residential rehabilitation and transition facility that admits persons

who have been ordered to the facility by a New Mexico court.

Senate Bill 137 – Page

2

HSD notes that SB 137 does not specify what goods and services would be purchased through

the contract with the private entity. Additionally, the bill does not specify what type of

rehabilitation and transition services the proposed facility would provide, and whether these

services would be funded through this appropriation or through other programs.

HSD further noted that, assuming mental health and substance abuse treatment and support

services are to be provided, most court-ordered mental health and substance abuse treatment is

provided on an outpatient basis and has been funded through the Administrative Office of the

Courts’ drug court program, the Corrections Department’s community corrections program,

individual jurisdictions’ mental health courts, or the DFA Local Government Division’s DWI

grant programs. In addition, planning and initial construction is under way for a substance abuse

treatment and training facility in Los Lunas, which will include separate residential services for

men and women. It is not clear where the facility proposed by SB 137 fits in the continuum of

services for individuals who are court-ordered into behavioral health treatment.

This request with an appropriation for $3.6 million was introduced in the 2007 Regular

Legislative session and was funded as an item in SB 611 (§37-25) for $267,800.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

HSD reports that administrative implications may be substantial if the state is to ensure the

effectiveness of any services provided by this private facility. The majority of New Mexico’s

public behavioral health funding is directed through the Human Services Department, including

General Fund appropriations for treatment services through the Behavioral Health Services

Division. The Department of Health may also have administrative implications if it is required

to license the facility.

COMPANIONSHIP

HB 195

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