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

SPONSOR Jennings

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/12/08

HB

SHORT TITLE Create Legislative Health Committee

SB 430 & 503/SFLS

ANALYST Haug

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$0.1

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Floor Substitute for Senate Bill 430 and Senate Bill 503 would create a permanent joint

interim committee of the legislature called the Legislative Health Committee. The committee

would consist of fourteen members, seven from the house and seven from the senate; the bill

mandates certain representation and mandates appointment for terms of two years or less.

SFLS/S430 & S503 further speaks to how members will be appointed; how vacancies will be

filled; what officers will be named; when action can be taken; how the committee will be staffed;

and the committee’s duties – which include: 1) conducting a study of all health care in NM to

include programs, agencies, policies, costs and needs; 2) continuing a review of statutes,

regulations, constitutional provisions and other legal materials related to health; 3) study existing

and prospective public and private health care system financing, cost-containment initiatives and

benefit issues; barriers to health care access; health disparities; appropriate enrollment strategies;

delivery systems for prevention and management of chronic disease; strategies for provider

recruitment and retention; the impact of federal initiatives to expand health coverage, as well as

federal legal and administrative requirements for improving the access of uninsured New

Mexicans to affordable health care; and Native American health care access needs and the

federal government's participation in addressing those needs; 4) study post-secondary student

health care and factors incident to providing that health care, including numbers of uncovered

students, sources of health care coverage, the current role of student health care services and

possible expanded student health care services and possible funding mechanisms for student

Senate Bill 430 and Senate Bill 503/SFLS – Page

2

health care coverage; 5) recommend changes in laws relating to health and health care, if any are

deemed desirable, and draft and present to the legislature any legislation deemed necessary; 6)

prepare and publish by December 1 of each year for the upcoming legislative session an annual

report of its findings and recommendations relating to the adoption of legislation and rules, if any

are found to be necessary, and make additional reports as it deems necessary; and 5)

recommending in report form by November 30, 2009, changes necessary or desirable regarding

the creation of a state health care authority, and whether or how to consolidate any actuarial

pools and whether to allow private employers to purchase coverage through any state programs

or pools.

SFLS/S430 & S503 would authorize the Legislative Health Committee to appoint expert

advisory councils to provide the committee with expert analysis on the areas listed above and

other areas as determined by the committee. Expert advisory council members would receive

mileage and per diem in accord with the Per Diem and Mileage Act.

SFLS/S430 & S503 would also create a Health Care Unit of the Legislative Council Service to

be staffed by knowledgeable persons in the areas of health and health care. The unit would staff

the Legislative Health Committee and develop policy options for health care coverage and

access, supply and quality of health care.

SFLS/S430 & S503 would also re-name the existing Welfare Reform Oversight Committee to

the Human Services Oversight Committee. SFLS/S430 & S503 would also update gender

specific language in the existing 2-17-3 and add duties to this committee’s responsibility

regarding the study of programs, agencies, and laws with regard to human services and programs

and services available in NM for children, families and the aging population.

SFLS/S430 & S503 would also amend current statute at 9-7-11.2, which would direct the New

Mexico Health Policy Commission to mandate that reports of that commission be due by

October 1 of each year. Additionally, it would direct that the Health Policy Commission

coordinate with and provide its reports directly to the (SFLS/S430 & S503 created) Legislative

Health Committee.

Finally, SFLS/S430 & S503 would repeal section 2-13-1 through 2-13-5 and section 2-17-5 of

current law which creates the current Legislative Health and Human Services Committee and

specifies reporting obligations.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The bill contains no appropriation but fiscal impact would be substantial in the creation and

staffing of the Legislative Council Services Health Care Unit and to some extent in the payment

of mileage and per diem to members of expert advisory councils authorized in the bill.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The establishment of a health care unit of the Legislative Council Service would provide the

legislature with additional staff expertise in a policy area with billions of dollars of spending, a

high level of legislator and public interest, and often complicated legislation. SFLS/S430 & S503

increases the official number of legislators on the health committee from 8 to 14 members and

Senate Bill 430 and Senate Bill 503/SFLS – Page

3

changes appointment power from the legislative council to the Speaker of the House and

Senate’s Committees’ Committee.

CONFLICT & RELATIONSHIP

Other pending legislation (HB 147 and its companion SB 225, and HB 62) would repeal current

law at 9-7-11.2, which SFLS/S430 & S503 proposes to amend.

GH/mt