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

SPONSOR Wirth

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/2/07

HB 537

SHORT TITLE

State Historian NM Scholars' Program

SB

ANALYST Ortiz

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$75.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Commission of Public Records (CPR)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 537 appropriates $75 thousand from the GENERAL FUND to the State Commission

of Public Records, Office of the State Historian for the purpose of the New Mexico history

scholars program for fellowships and for the implementation of a lecture program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $75 thousand contained in this bill is a RECURRING expense to the

GENERAL FUND. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FISCAL

YEAR 2008 shall revert to the GENERAL FUND.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Commission of Public Records received a special appropriation in 2005 for expenditure in

FY 2006 to initiate a scholars' program through one of its divisions, the Office of the State

Historian. The program provides short-term residential fellowships to qualifying scholars to

House Bill 537 – Page

2

conduct research in the State Archives, also a division (the Archives and Historical Services

Division) of the Commission. Funding for the program was moved into the agency's base budget

in FY 2007 and funded at $13.3. In its FY 2008 base appropriation request, the agency asked for

$14.4 to continue the program, an amount which appears to be included in both the DFA and

LFC recommendations.

The $75.0 which HB537 would appropriate would obviously significantly expand the number of

scholarships available under the present scholars' program and would, according to its language,

also provide funding to implement a lecture program (although, under the present program,

scholars are already required to give public lectures as a condition of receiving the stipend).

While the Commission fully supports the scholars program, it is concerned about the agency's

ability to absorb any additional administrative responsibilities. Programs such as the scholars'

program require not only time to establish and monitor the agreements and the research but to

process all related procurement and financial transactions. Additional administrative support

may be necessary if the agency is to administer an expanded program effectively.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The scholars' program is recognized in the Commission's FY 2007 Update to its strategic plan, as

noted

Strategy 1.6. Foster and facilitate an understanding and appreciation of New Mexico history

and culture through education, research and community outreach.

•

Action Step 1.6.2. Administer the Office of the State Historian’s Scholars' Program.

Performance Measure: Number of fellowships awarded in the OSH scholars'

program. FY 2006 actual - 4; FY 2007 target - 6; FY 2008 target - 6.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

This bill may require more administrative support for the agency.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Funding for this program is included in the agency's base budget appropriation request in

Contractual Services at $14.4 thousand. The funding is in both the executive and LFC

recommendations.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

If the agency's base budget appropriation request in Contractual Services is funded at the

recommended levels, the scholars' program and its attendant lectures would be funded at the

$14.4 level included in the agency's request.

EO/nt