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

SPONSOR Pinto

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/25/08

HB

SHORT TITLE UNM Indigenous Nations Library Program

SB 276

ANALYST Haug

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$200.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplication of SB358

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

University of New Mexico (UNM)

Indian Affairs Department (IAD)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 276 appropriates $200.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the

University of New Mexico to continue the Indigenous Nations Library Program work, including

•

expanding services provided by the tribal information project to all university of New

Mexico campuses, especially to the Gallup campus;

•

adding to the Native American collections and increasing the information resources at the

university of New Mexico libraries;

•

providing information and student assistance for the bachelor's degree in Native

American studies;

•

developing information-seeking and research skills of Native American students and

Senate Bill 276 – Page

2

•

increasing the success and retention of the university's Native American students.

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 UNM to the New Mexico Higher Education Department for

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

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to UNM, the Indigenous Nations Library Program (INLP) received legislative

funding in four consecutive years with strong recommendation from the NM Department of

Higher Education in 2007 for recurring funding as a proven program. INLP goals include

recruiting, retaining, and ensuring the academic success of Native American students and

fostering research on and about our state’s rich Native American history and resources. Out-of-

classroom learning opportunities are provided to the general public through a free Lecture Series.

Major partnerships are being built with the UNM Campuses (especially Gallup), Native

American Librarians Interest Group (NALSIG) and the NM State Library’s American Indian

initiatives.

The IAD states that this type of program is a continuation of efforts to ensure the success of the

Native American community at UNM-Gallup. An example of the tremendous support UNM

provides for its Native American students, was that in the 2007 New Mexico Legislative Session,

Native American student issues were among the “Legislative Priorities" for UNM. According to

the University, funds were needed to “expand the capacity of the [Native American Studies]

program to comprehensively serve the needs of New Mexico Native American students and

communities through the development of exemplary undergraduate and graduate degree

programs." SB 276 would keep with UNM’s supportive and expressed institutional goal to

“realize a vision of being the top university in the U.S. regarding Native American Higher

Education."

DUPLICATION

Senate Bill 358 would appropriate $75.0 for the same purpose.

GH/bb