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 Taylor

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/21/08

HB

SHORT TITLE Homeless Youth Transitional Living Program

SB 302

ANALYST Propst

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$125.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 302, Making an Appropriation to Fund a Transitional Living Program for Homeless

and Runaway Youth, appropriates $125.0 thousand from the general fund to DFA for the

purpose of providing a transitional living program in Bernalillo County.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $125.0 thousand 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

CYFD notes that the bill would provide funding for a Transitional Living Program in Bernalillo

County, targeting homeless and/or runaway ages youth sixteen to twenty-one years, and

providing temporary shelter, board, living skills education, behavioral health and social services

to homeless and runaway youth.

In 2002, the US Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

estimated that there are nearly 1.7 million homeless and runaway youth in the United States.

Senate Bill 302 – Page

2

Many homeless youth leave home after years of physical and/or sexual abuse, addiction of a

family member, and/or parental neglect; and many of these youth have been in child welfare

custody or foster care. Studies show that homeless youth benefit from programs that meet

immediate and basic needs first, including housing, and then help them to address other aspects

of their lives (National Coalition for the Homeless, Fact Sheet #13, August 2007). A Colorado

study suggests it costs less than $6,000 to permanently move a homeless youth off the streets,

compared to the more than $53,000 required to maintain a youth in the criminal justice system

for one year (

www.medicalnewstoday.com

, June 12, 2007).

CYFD funds and manages transitional living programs within the state for both youth aging out

of foster care, and youth paroling from the juvenile correctional facilities. This bill does not

appear to offer a provision for coordinating or collaborating with existing CYFD-funded

transitional living and service programs.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

CYFD has performance measures and strategic plan initiatives relating to providing housing and

support services to transitioning youth. This application is consistent with these measures and

initiatives.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Related to HB242 Youth Transitional Living Services for Santa Fe.

WEP/bb