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



SPONSOR: Garcia, MH DATE TYPED: 2/15/01 HB 272
SHORT TITLE: Southwest & Border Culture Institute Funding SB
ANALYST: Rael


APPROPRIATION



Appropriation Contained
Estimated Additional Impact
Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY01 FY02 FY01 FY02
$ 400.0 GF



(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)



Duplicates SB 32



SOURCES OF INFORMATION



Commission on Higher Education (CHE)



SUMMARY



Synopsis of Bill



The Southwest Border & Culture Institute Funding bill appropriates $400.0 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico State University for the purpose of providing a match for the Southwest and Border Cultures Institute's challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The funds would be used to support four departments, the library and museum for research and public outreach projects on southwestern issues.



FISCAL IMPLICATIONS



The appropriation of $400.0 contained in this bill is a non-recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 2002 shall revert to the general fund.



SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES



The following is furnished for information only. It is not intended as a commentary on the merits of the program/project.

Institutions were asked to provide the Commission with an overall priority listing of all new and expansion research and public service project requests. NMSU provided a categorical priority list. The NMSU Board of Regents ranked this request as their sixth priority in their institutional programs category. The appropriation contained in HB272 is for $400,000, in the CHE funding request, NMSU requested a $200,000 general fund appropriation. The program did receive a $250,000 special, non-recurring, general fund appropriation for fiscal year 2000/01. The Commission did not recommend expansion funding for this program.

FAR/njw