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

SPONSOR M.J. Garcia

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/28/08

HB

SHORT TITLE NMSU Southern NM Center On Aging

SB 138

ANALYST Haug

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$200.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

New Mexico State University (NMSU)

Aging & Long Term Services Department (ALTSD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 138 appropriates $200.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New

Mexico State University to establish a southern New Mexico Center on Aging in the College of

Health and Social Services.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $200.0 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 by NMSU to the New Mexico Higher Education Department for

review, but is not included in the Department’s executive funding recommendation for FY09.

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

classifies this project as a “would not oppose if funding available" project. Reasons for this

Senate Bill 138 – Page

2

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:

•

The most important rationale for a Center on Aging is that there is no impartial

organization in the area to work with the community in forming coalitions, bringing

together members of the community (private, public and governmental agencies) to

identify issues pertaining to aging and to seek solutions to those problems.

•

The NMSU College of Health and Social Services has a recognized commitment for

addressing the health issues concomitant to the demographic increase of an aging

population in Southwester New Mexico and throughout the state. The College supports

an undergraduate minor and a graduate certificate in aging studies, established three years

ago, and has prepared over 50 students from a variety of health and social service

programs for working with the older population. This is the only Web based on-line

program of its kind in New Mexico. The College of Health and Social Service wishes to

build on this success by developing a Center on Aging that will continue to generate

research and community outreach services addressing social, economical, and health

concerns related to the state’s aging population. There is no such program in New

Mexico. The only other Center on Aging is at UNM medical school, which focuses on

the training for medical students.

•

The Center would be housed within the NMSU Southwest Institute for Health Disparities

Research because diversity and disparities are the major issues facing the aging

population in the area. The institute can provide essential support for proposals seeking

external funding support at the pre-award and post-award stages. It is expected that

additional staff may be needed and supported by indirect cost recovery from funded

projects.

The HED notes that the rise in the elderly population creates a proportional and expanding need

for long-term care services. A Center on Aging will generate opportunities for research and

community outreach services for the aging population in New Mexico. Unlike other states, New

Mexico does not have a Center on Aging available as a community resource. The fast rise in

aging population is increasing the demands for resources. This center will be a hub to generate

further funding for researching the needs of the multi-cultural and aging population of New

Mexico. The center will work with the community in forming coalitions, bringing together

private and public agencies to identify issues pertaining to aging and to seek solutions to those

problems.

The ALTSD states that the Aging And Long-Term Services Department would be willing to

collaborate with NM State University in the development of a center on aging.

GH/mt