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

SPONSOR Tyler

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/8/07

2/15/07 HB 640/aHEC

SHORT TITLE Lea County 4-H Programs

SB

ANALYST Guambaña

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$300.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Conflicts with HB 602 and relates to SB 60

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

New Mexico State University-College of Agriculture and Home Economics (NMHU-CAHE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of HEC Amendment

The House Education Committee amendment to HB 640 substitutes the words “New Mexico"

for the words “Lea County." The appropriation, for expenditure in FY 2008, is to support 4-H

programs throughout the state

House Bill 640/aHEC now provides $300,000 for statewide 4-H programs. House Bill 602

provides $100,000 for a 4-H outreach program and SB 60 provides $500,000 for the same

outreach program.

Synopsis of Original Bill

House Bill 640 appropriates $300,000 from the General Fund to the Board of Regents of NMSU

to support 4-H programs in Lea County.

House Bill 640/aHEC – Page

2

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $300,000 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.

Per HED, this proposal was submitted to the Department by NMSU and was not included in their

funding recommendation for FY08.

HED also asserts that NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service and 4-H Youth Development was

the recipient of four federal grants totaling $2,542,815 over a five-year period beginning in 2001

to establish 4-H Outreach Agencies in 14 counties in New Mexico. These were three-year grants

and the funding is being completed this year.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

NMHU-CAHE states that the principal objective of this request will focus on providing 4-H

outreach programs to underserved youth in eight selected counties impacting an estimated 5000

students per year. NMSU 4-H Youth Development Program staff will provide teachers or

classroom volunteers with experiential learning lessons and activities that are aligned to New

Mexico educational standards and benchmarks. In addition to the school classroom, NMSU 4-H

Youth Development professionals will provide educational, hands on activities and programs in

out of school settings throughout the counties to encourage the academic performance and

workforce preparation among vulnerable youth in New Mexico. More than 74,000 of New

Mexico’s youth were involved in life skill education through 4-H, thereby qualifying 4-H as the

largest youth development program in the State.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Relates to Senate Bill 60 which appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to the Board of

Regents of NMSU to pay for a 4-H outreach program.

Conflicts with House Bill 602 that appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund to the Board of

Regents of NMSU for a 4-H Outreach Program.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

HED and NMSU-CAHE jointly maintain that the 4-H Program is involved in partnerships with

volunteers throughout New Mexico. Last year 5,220 adult 4-H volunteers contributed more than

260,000 hours of volunteer service to the youth of the state. Had that service been provided by

paid staff, it would have cost $4,690,400.

Per NMSU-CAHE, the NMSU 4-H Engagement in Youth and Education initiative is a ten year

plan with a projected budget requirement of $10 million. The first four years have focused on

after school programs. This funding request is for the second objective of the initiative which is

devoted to Core Curriculum Enhancement.

House Bill 640/aHEC – Page

3

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

Analysis by both HED and NMHU-CAHE for House Bill 640 and House Bill 602 were identical

submissions, however noteworthy discrepancies exist in the areas of requested appropriations as

well as in the titles of each bill. The narrative of each bill states that each respective request will

provide outreach programs in eight counties, yet House Bill 602’s title identifies the expenditures

to be devoted to Lea County exclusively. Is it intended that these will differences be reconciled.

AG/mt