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

SPONSOR Altamirano

DATE TYPED 2/25/05

HB

SHORT TITLE Assistance for Firefighter Academy Training

SB 987

ANALYST Rosen

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$85.0

Minimal Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates HB1006

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

Department of Public Safety (DPS)

Public Regulation Commission (PRC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 987 appropriates $85.0 from the general fund to the Insurance Division of PRC for

the Firefighter Training Academy (FTA) to provide financial assistance to fire departments to

allow firefighters to attend training offered by the firefighter’s training academy.

Significant Issues

FTA is part of the Public Safety program of PRC and not the Insurance program, which contains

the Insurance Division.

The bill does not specify that firefighters eligible for this assistance must be from fire districts in

New Mexico. FTA offers training to firefighters from other states, including Arizona and Texas,

and other countries, including Mexico and Canada.

Senate Bill 987 -- Page 2

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

Indeterminate

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $85.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any

unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY06 shall revert to the general

fund.

According to DFA, The cost to attend FTA for one firefighter from New Mexico is approxi-

mately $85 per day with an average five-day stay. The appropriation of $85,000.0 will be used

for per diem and mileage, which calculates to $425.00 per attendee. This appropriation will pay

per diem and mileage for approximately 10% of the students attending FTA. Criteria for assis-

tance will be based participants from rural communities that lack funds to send firefighters for

training.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

DFA reports the bill does not specify how the tuition assistance will be administered and does

not specifically require FTA to promulgate rules for provision of this assistance.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Duplicates HB1006

TECHNICAL ISSUES

FTA is part of PRC’s Public Safety Program, not PRC’s Insurance Division.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL.

PRC indicates local communities are on limited budgets and, therefore, training of fire fighters is

a low priority. The local communities will have to support the fire department with costs of

over-time or other expenses incurred when a person is away from their community.

JR/lg