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

SPONSOR

Campos

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/05/08

HB

SHORT TITLE Commission for the Blind Rehab Teaching Programs SB 335

ANALYST Hanika-Ortiz

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$150.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 335 appropriates $150 thousand from the General Fund to the Commission for the

Blind for expenditure in FY09 to expand rehabilitation teaching programs.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $150 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.

DVR reports that for funds that are either non-recurring or reverting to the General Fund, this

could result in a “maintenance of effort" situation with federal funds appropriated under Title I

or Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The “maintenance of effort" issue

may impact all such funds received by the State of New Mexico, which will impact both the New

Mexico Commission for the Blind and New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

The bill may enable the State to reduce reliance on D&E, PCO, and nursing home services.

Because persons are remaining longer in the workforce, it will also help the Commission to

provide initial training to some individuals who will transition to their vocational rehabilitation

Senate Bill 335 – Page

2

program, and thereby continue in the workforce. By continuing in the workforce, these persons

will help provide a critically needed skilled workforce, will pay taxes, and will avoid going on

SSI and Medicaid, or SSDI and Medicare.

The New Mexico Commission for the Blind is a non-reverting agency. The language in SB335

indicates that any unexpended or unencumbered balance at the end of the fiscal year shall revert

to the general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DVR notes that SB 335 will enable the Commission to better serve a population of blind persons

that is projected to double over the next 15 years. There are currently an estimated 11.4 million

Americans who are blind or visually impaired, with 3.5% of the population of persons over 65

being legally blind. The primary cause is age-related Macular degeneration, with 13 million

Americans having some signs of macular degeneration. It is estimated that 6.3 million

Americans will develop AMD by 2030, compared to 1.7 million in 1995. Glaucoma is another

major cause of blindness, with 3 million Americans having Glaucoma, accounting for 9% to 12%

of blindness in the US. Diabetic Retinopathy is another leading cause of blindness, with 7

million Americans having some level of diabetic retinopathy, accounting for 25,000 new cases of

blindness each year.

DVR further notes that SB 335 will provide for Rehab Teaching for this population. The

Commission for the Blind intends to use it to staff a Senior Skills Center in Albuquerque, and to

staff a Rehab Teacher in the southern part of the state. This will enable the Commission to

provide independent living services that will help these seniors to continue to live independently

in their homes and communities.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The Commission for the Blind will be required to hire staff to provide rehabilitation teaching

services to persons who become blind.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

DVR reflects that failure to make additional funding available to the New Mexico Commission

for the Blind to provide independent living services to this growing population only defers the

inevitable and will result in the need for larger appropriations to “catch-up" with the need.

AMENDMENTS

Recommended amendment: on line 20 insert the word “not" between “shall" and “revert."

AHO/bb