SENATE MEMORIAL 50

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Carlos R. Cisneros

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND OTHER APPROPRIATE INTERIM COMMITTEES TO CONDUCT A STUDY OF NEW MEXICO FAMILIES THAT ENGAGE IN TWO OR MORE TYPES OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND THE RELATED IMPACTS.

     WHEREAS, New Mexico focuses a significant amount of its state and federal funds each year addressing and responding to poverty, hunger, mental health, child welfare, criminal justice and other related social issues; and

     WHEREAS, these issues have long-term fiscal and humanitarian impacts on New Mexico and its residents; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico is in a budget shortfall; and

     WHEREAS, despite large state, local, federal and philanthropic financial investments, New Mexico consistently ranks near the bottom of state rankings in the areas of child maltreatment, incarceration, poverty and other related measures of individual, child and family well-being; and

     WHEREAS, research suggests that among consumers of social services, there is a distinct and identifiable population of individuals and families that use two or more types of social services, such as the supplemental nutrition assistance program and child support programs; and

     WHEREAS, those individuals and families use a significant portion of social-services funding; and

     WHEREAS, there has never been any study that links data across state agencies to determine the existence of these individuals and their families in New Mexico, the costs of serving them or the type, quality and efficacy of the social services they receive; and

     WHEREAS, understanding the costs and the type, quality and efficacy of the social services they receive could have a significant budgetary impact on the state; and

     WHEREAS, state agencies produce and collect data that could shed light on budgetary impacts; and

     WHEREAS, individual-level data are separated by agencies and not linked to illustrate the broader needs and service gaps of individuals and families that use two or more types of social services, or the efficacy of interventions on them; and

     WHEREAS, a larger data governance strategy with regard to individuals or families that use two or more types of social services may ultimately be an effective step in identifying and better serving those individuals or families;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative finance committee, and any other appropriate interim legislative committees, be requested to conduct a study of families in New Mexico that use at least two types of social services, such as income support programs, child welfare programs, mental health services or criminal justice services; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include identification of their numbers; their geographic distribution; the public costs of serving them; the outcomes they experience; and ways in which New Mexico could improve services to them, including the coordination of services across public agencies; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislative finance committee and any other appropriate interim legislative committees be requested to collaborate with New Mexico appleseed to conduct the study; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the human services department; the children, youth and families department; the corrections department; the public education department; the department of health; the New Mexico mortgage finance authority; and other departments and agencies be requested to share data with the legislative finance committee to facilitate the study; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative finance committee and any other appropriate interim legislative committees be requested to complete the study by October 1, 2018; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative council; the chair of the legislative finance committee; the secretary of human services; the secretary of children, youth and families; the secretary of corrections; the secretary of public education; the secretary of health; the chair of the New Mexico mortgage finance authority; and the executive director of New Mexico appleseed.

- 4 -