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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Hall
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
01/29/07
HB 448
SHORT TITLE NMSU Strengthening Families Initiative
SB
ANALYST Hanika Ortiz
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
$500.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates SB 396
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Higher Education Department HED)
Public Education Department (PED)
Children, Youth & Families Department (CYFD)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 448 appropriates $500 thousand from the general fund to New Mexico State
University (NMSU) to support the Strengthening Families Initiative (SFI) to reduce child abuse
and neglect and prevent youth problem behavior.
HB 448 relates to the Governor’s Healthy New Mexico goal of providing enhanced services to
high-risk and high-need individuals, and to the Governor’s Safer New Mexico initiative task to
reduce child abuse and neglect.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $500 thousand contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general
fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 shall revert to the
general fund.
pg_0002
House Bill 448 – Page
2
This appropriation was submitted by New Mexico State University to HED for review and is not
included in the Department’s funding recommendation for FY08. The Department is
recommending the recurring amount of $47.5 thousand, but not NMSU’s request for the
additional $500 thousand.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
HED reports that in 1999, the Children’s Defense Fund rated New Mexico among the worst
places to raise a child. They stated the states high rate of children living in poverty, single parent
families, school failure and dropout, teen pregnancy, and adolescent substance abuse as reasons
for the rating. The SFI was established to address some of these challenges.
The purpose of the initiative is to reduce child abuse and neglect and prevent youth behavior
problems. The target audience includes teen parents, unmarried parents, grandparents raising
grandchildren, families affected by domestic violence, families dealing with substance abuse,
and families involved with the criminal justice system. Parents and children attend weekly
classes for 15-24 weeks and receive instruction in healthy family relationships, life skills and
nutrition. Since February 2003, the SFI has delivered 127 family strengthening classes in 20
counties throughout the state. At least 360 families are to be served this year and approximately
14,000 hours of education will be delivered.
Currently, SFI provides parenting education to low-income families who either receive
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or are eligible for TANF. This appropriation
would be used to serve families who do not meet the income guidelines required by Human
Services Department funding, and to reach more families in more counties, particularly rural and
underserved populations.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
NMSU will be responsible for administering the funding appropriation in the bill.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
State agencies question how NMSU’s efforts might be coordinated with other existing programs
that reduce child abuse and neglect and prevent youth problem behavior.
CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP
Duplicates SB 396
ALTERNATIVES
NMSU to seek funding elsewhere, such as from private or federal funding sources.
WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL
Funding to support the SFI and reach more families at NMSU to reduce child abuse and neglect
and prevent youth problem behavior may not be provided.
AHO/sec