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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

2/8/2007

HB 457

SHORT TITLE NMSU Horticulture Research Garden

SB

ANALYST McOlash

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$100.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 457 appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund to the NMSU Regents for

expenditure in FY 2008 to pay for a manager for the Fabian Chavez Horticulture Research

Garden.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $100,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the General Fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 2008 shall revert to the

General Fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Fabian Garcia Science Center, just west of NMSU's main campus, supports greenhouse, orchard

and crop research. It also contains a botanical garden and turf demonstration plots, which are

used to screen new plant materials and to teach classes on landscaping, ornamental design and

maintenance. The Higher education Department reports that the Fabian Chavez Horticulture

House Bill 457 – Page

2

Research Garden is part of the Fabian Garcia Science Center. The NMSU Office of Government

Affairs indicates it is the “Fabian Griego Horticulture Research Garden."

It is not clear if the proposed manager is for the Fabian Garcia Science Center or a Fabian

Chavez/Griego Horticulture Research Garden.

This proposal was not submitted to the HED by NMSU and was not included in the

Department’s funding recommendation for FY08.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

1.

Is it the Fabian Chavez Horticulture Research Garden or the Fabian Griego Horticulture

Garden.

2.

Is the manager intended to be for the Fabian Garcia Science Center or for the Horticulture

Garden.

BM/nt