[1] NOTE:  As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended only 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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F I S C A L   I M P A C T   R E P O R T

 

 

 

SPONSOR:

Campos

 

DATE TYPED:

1-29-02

 

HB

 

 

SHORT TITLE:

UNM Water Rights Adjudication Study

 

SB

108

 

 

ANALYST:

Baca

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY02

FY03

FY02

FY03

 

 

 

$50.0

 

 

Non-Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

Relates to Appropriation in The General Appropriation Act  HB2                            

 

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

Office of the State Engineer (OSE)

Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

Senate Bill 108 appropriates $50.0 to the UNM School of Law to study and recommend, in cooperation with the State Engineer, a prioritization of existing state court water right adjudications, an assessment of the resource needs of the courts and the State Engineer to expedite completion of adjudications.

 

     Significant Issues

 

According to the OSE, this bill would address a potential major issue facing the court system.  However, this bill would fund a study that is currently being undertaken internally in the State Engineer’s office and has already been funded using adjudication funds appropriated by the Legislature in FY2002.

 

 

 

 

 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

The appropriation of $50.0 contained in this bill is a new recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY2003 shall revert to the general fund.

 

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

 

According to the OSE,  “This bill would fund a study that the State Engineer is already performing internally.  In the last six months, the State Engineer has developed a strategic plan and prioritized the state court adjudications to expedite the completion of the adjudications. In addition, the State Engineer is studying and developing a plan regarding the needs of the Courts.  The State Engineer has recently contracted with a former Supreme Court Justice and a former Appeals Court Justice to analyze issues and make recommendations.  Preliminary work indicates more study of the issues is needed.  The OSE has sufficient funding to continue with its current investigations.”

 

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

 

The following is provided for information only.  It is not intended as a commentary on the merits of the bill:

 

A request for this program was not included in UNM’s budget request to the UNM Board of Regents, and thus was not included in the list of priority projects submitted by UNM to the Commission on Higher Education for review .  

 

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

 

1.  How would the proposed study enhance the efforts now underway at the OSE ?

 

2,  Will this study address any issues not being considered inthe OSE activities ?

 

LB/njw

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