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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Gutierrez
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
1/24/2007
HB 112
SHORT TITLE NMSU Mental Health Improvement Program
SB
ANALYST McOlash
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
$400.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates Senate Bill 141.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
New Mexico State University – School of Nursing (NMSU-N)
Department of Health (DOH)
Health Policy Commission (HPC)
Higher Education Department (HED)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 112 appropriates $400,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of NMSU
for expenditure in FY 2008 to educate psychiatric nurse parishioners and clinical nurse
specialists through the School of Nursling’s Mental Health Improvement Program.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $400,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the General Fund.
Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY shall revert to the
General Fund.
pg_0002
House Bill 112 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
NMSU-N Analysis
NMSU’s psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner/clinical nurse specialist program
has been funded since July 2004 through a $1.1 million federal grant. (Federal funding
ends 6/30/07)
a.
This grant (referred to as MIND) uses comprehensive distance education methods
to allow students from throughout the state (many from rural areas/underserved
areas) to become PMH NP/CNS while remaining in their home communities.
Research has consistently demonstrated the importance of this educational
approach for increasing health care access in rural and underserved areas.
b.
Currently, 29 MIND students are enrolled, 4 are projected to graduate in May
2007, and 19 are projected to graduate in May 2008. Over 40 applications have
been received for the next admission cycle which has an upcoming application
deadline of March 1, 2007
.
This request was not on the list of priority projects submitted by NMSU to the Higher Education
Department for review and was not included in the Department's funding recommendation for
FY08.
CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP
Senate Bill 141 is a duplicate.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
DOH Analysis
According to a July 15, 2002 report entitled, “Behavioral Health Needs and
Gaps in New Mexico," by the Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc. and
Human Services Research Institute, “(a) large number of New Mexicans are
affected by mental illness/emotional disturbance and/or substance abuse or
dependence." The report further states the economic benefits of mental health
services; “For every dollar invested in mental health services, there is as much
as $10 saved in other social, governmental, and economic costs."
WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL
The scope of psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner/clinical nurse specialist track offered
by New Mexico State University and the number of students admitted and completing the
program will significantly decrease to the pre-grant level (5 students every other year) and the
psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner/clinical nurse specialist tract may be eliminated.
pg_0003
House Bill 112 – Page
3
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
1.
Does NMSU, that did not request funding from the state for this program, expect the
continuation of federal funding or the availability of other funding to support this
program.
BM/csd