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

SPONSOR Varela

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/6/06

HB 691

SHORT TITLE NMHU Youth Educational Film Initiative

SB

ANALYST Earp

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$600.0

Non-Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates Senate Bill 459

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 691 appropriates $600,000 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New

Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) for a youth educational initiative to market and promote

the state and its culture through a film that features the state’s stories, traditions, folk art and

people.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $600,000 contained in this bill appears to be a non-recurring expense to the

general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year

2007 shall revert to the general fund. The bill contains the emergency clause; therefore, funding

may be available to begin the film project in fiscal year 2006.

House Bill 691 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

This proposal was not included among the special program funding requests submitted by

NMHU to the Higher Education Department (HED) for review. Consequently, this proposal has

not been included in the HED fiscal year 2007 funding recommendations to the Legislature.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

NMHU would administer the proposed appropriation.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

House Bill 691 and Senate Bill 459 are duplicate measures.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

HED provided information indicating that NMHU houses a Department of Communication and

Fine Arts. This department works within the framework of northern New Mexico's artistic, theat-

rical, and musical culture each of which is woven into its courses and productions. Students have

access to state-of-the-art computer systems, music studios, and art studios. The department also

houses a television production studio and a computer lab dedicated to video graphics, effects,

and animation.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

Is the intent of the appropriation only to support a one-time film project, or is there the intent to

provide on-going support for the academic department at NMHU.

DKE/mt