NOTE: As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended for use by the standing finance committees of the legislature.  The Legislative Finance Committee does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this report when used in any other situation.

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(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Commission for Higher Education (CHE)

Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 354 appropriates $50.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the University of New Mexico (UNM) to provide legal and web site design services to the New Mexico Judicial Education Center at the UNM School of Law Institute of Public Law.

Significant Issues

According to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), this appropriation will allow the Judicial Education Center to pay about half the cost of maintaining a web designer and an attorney on staff to develop and update the educational web site for state judges and court personnel. The center has developed a web site (http://jec.unm.edu) containing interactive training programs and resources in a variety of subject areas, with emphasis on training the State's many non-attorney judges. In the past, the center has funded most of the web site development and maintenance costs from contracts and grants from federal and state agencies. This bill received the support of the Chief Judges' Council.

According to the Commission on Higher Education (CHE), this request was not included in UNM's budget request to the UNM Board of Regents, and thus was not submitted by UNM to the CHE for review. The UNM Board of Regents did not formally approve this request and the CHE did not recommend funding for this program expansion.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $50.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY02 shall revert to the general fund.

AMENDMENTS

The CHE suggests the following language for all new recurring higher education programs and expansion of current programs (assuming that funding will continue beyond 2001-2002):