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

SPONSOR Boitano

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

01/28/08

HB

SHORT TITLE Federal Funding to Family Formation Programs

SB 315

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$1,105.8

$1,105.8

Recurring

FF-TANF Block

Grant

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Human Services Department (HSD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 315 appropriates in FY08 and each subsequent fiscal year, a sum of at least one

percent of the federal block grant from state's temporary assistance for needy families block to be

spent on programs to enhance family formation. The one percent currently totals $1.1058

million. The funds for family formation programs shall be administered under contract with a

state public post-secondary educational institution that has demonstrated success in

administering temporary assistance for needy families programs, such as workforce development

programs, in both the north and south of the state.

Family formation programs include: (1) marriage skills training for engaged and married

couples; (2) premarital education programs; (3) marriage enhancement programs; (4) divorce

reduction programs; (5) marriage mentoring programs; (6) programs designed to reduce

disincentives to marriage in programs that require proof of income; and (7) responsible

fatherhood training in voluntary programs approved by the secretary.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $1,105.8 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the Federal TANF

block grant. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 or any

Senate Bill 315 – Page

2

subsequent fiscal year shall revert to the TANF block grant carry-forward used for cash

assistance.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Use of the funds for this purpose does meet the criteria for use of TANF funds and should be

allowable depending on the final program design.

HSD notes that during the 2007 Legislative Session, $400,000 was appropriated for family

strengthening and fatherhood programs from the TANF block grant for expenditure in the SFY

2008 operating budget. Using this funding, HSD currently contracts with New Mexico State

University (NMSU) to provide strengthening family and fatherhood services. This bill would

add nearly three times as much funding to family formation efforts in New Mexico.

MW/bb