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F I S C A
L I M P A C T R E P O R T
|
SPONSOR: |
Miera |
DATE TYPED: |
|
HB |
468 |
||
|
SHORT TITLE: |
Expand Adult Literacy Services |
SB |
|
||||
|
|
ANALYST: |
Gonzales |
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APPROPRIATION
|
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
||
|
FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
|
|
|
$250.0 |
|
|
Recurring |
General
Fund |
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates
SB352
SOURCES
OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses
Received From
State
Library, Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA)
State
Department of Education (SDE)
Commission
on Higher Education (CHE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
House Bill 468
appropriates $250.0 from the general fund to the library division of the Office
of Cultural Affairs for the purpose of contracting with a statewide nonprofit
adult literacy organization to provide basic literacy services in areas of the
state that are underserved by existing adult basic education and literacy
programs.
Significant
Issues
The bill states the organization shall provide
(1) program management and operating support services for community-based
literacy programs that use volunteer tutors to deliver expanded adult literacy
services; and (2) technical support services that include training on
evaluation standards and techniques, best practices in the delivery of literacy
services, community literacy boards development and training, volunteer
recruitment and support, financial and program management and quantifiable
documentation of outcomes.
The appropriation is designated to use existing
services whenever possible to expand service delivery in the areas of the state
that are currently underserved, which are the far eastern and far western parts
of New Mexico, to avoid duplication.
The State Library oversees the contract with the
New Coalition for Literacy (NMCL), who in turn funds the adult basic literacy
programs, states that the NMCL is only able to fund existing program grantees
collectively at approximately one-third less than their stated need and request
for funds.
According to the State Library, with the
existing funds appropriated to the State Library for this purpose, last year
NMCL funded adult basic literacy programs that utilized 79,000 volunteer hours
for the neediest New Mexicans whose education is below the fourth grade level
and need one-on-one instruction because they cannot, for one reason or another,
fit into an institutional, classroom setting.
The adult basic literacy programs funded by the NMCL differ from adult
literacy programs of the State Department of Education.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
The New Mexico Coalition for Literacy provided
the following statistics regarding the existing appropriated funds for adult
literacy services.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of
$250.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any
unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY04 shall revert to
the general fund.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
The State Library acts
as a pass through for funds appropriated for adult literacy to the New Coalition
for Literacy. The State Library does not
take out administrative costs for administering the appropriation; therefore,
additional funds for the purpose proposed by this bill would not create
additional burden to the State Library.
DUPLICATION
This bill duplicates
Senate Bill 352.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
The State Department of Education states numeracy, language arts and the arts are integral parts of literacy. The State Board of Education Content Standards, Benchmarks and Performance Standards in the areas of Language Arts, Mathematics and the Arts could assist in the development of evaluation standards for HB 468.
The Commission on
Higher Education notes that for many years New Mexico’s
approach to literacy services has included complimentary efforts of the State
Department of Education (SDE), Department of Human Services and the Office of
Cultural Affairs (OCA). The SDE has
focused on K-12 literacy initiatives in the public schools and Adult Basic
Education (ABE)/GED preparation largely delivered through the state’s community
college system; Department of Human Services has focused on services for TANF
eligible clients; and OCA has focused on volunteer tutor programs for
individuals with the lowest literacy levels and least likely to access institution-based
services. All three efforts are
complimentary parts of a state literacy system.
According to
information from the 2000 Census, ABE program directors, the SDE, and the NM
Coalition for Literacy, need and demand for literacy services have been rising
annually while budgets for adult basic education have remained static or been
reduced. The additional funds would be
used to provide services primarily in underserved communities around the
eastern, northern and western periphery of the state.
JMG/prr:njw