44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO SANTA FE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR AN EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL DEVELOPMENT PILOT PROJECT.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. APPROPRIATION.--

A. One hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the community college board of Santa Fe community college for expenditure in fiscal year 2000 for the purpose of conducting the first year of a two-year pilot program at Santa Fe community college and the Bernalillo public schools to study early childhood mental development, as provided in Subsection B of this section. Money from this appropriation may be used to contract for experts to conduct the pre- and post-measurements necessary to assess the results of the study and to carry out the pilot project at the Bernalillo public schools. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert to the general fund.

B. In conducting the early childhood mental development pilot program, Santa Fe community college shall implement a design based on the brain development research being conducted by Santa Fe institute that explores the outcomes associated with enriched environments for young children. The program shall provide and train enrichment teachers to work with and train caregivers of selected groups of children under three years old in child-care settings in Santa Fe and through the Bernalillo public schools to provide the stimulation and experiences that are being tested to foster optimum brain development. Santa Fe community college shall report its progress on the study to the second session of the forty-fourth legislature.