Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance

committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports

if they are used for other purposes.

Current FIRs (in HTML & Adobe PDF formats) are a vailable on the NM Legislative Website (legis.state.nm.us).

Adobe PDF versions include all attachments, whereas HTML versions may not. Previously issued FIRs and

attachments may be obtained from the LFC in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.

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

SPONSOR King

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/19/07

HB 1051

SHORT TITLE Quality of Life for Persons with Disabilities

SB

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$500.0

Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Governor’s Commission on Disability

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 1051 appropriates $500 thousand from the general fund to the Governor’s

Commission on Disability for the purpose of funding the commission’s participation in programs

designed to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities and to promote public

awareness about disabilities in the public schools.

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 Fiscal Year 2008 shall

revert to the general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

PED reports that according to the December 1, 2005 Special Education Count there were 50,322

(15.34%) students with disabilities ages 3 through 21 attending public schools, state-supported

schools, private and home schools in New Mexico. (PED data). There are 300,000 adults who

House Bill 1051 – Page

2

self report having a disability; 24% of the population. This does include New Mexicans who may

be institutionalized (2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System).

This year’s appropriation will include a program to visit schools throughout New Mexico to

promote awareness about persons with disabilities. This would meet the stated objective of the

Governor’s Commission on Disability to increase awareness and knowledge of disability issues,

including the rights and needs of New Mexicans with disabilities among the general public.

The Governor’s Commission on Disability adds the 2006 Legislature appropriated $500.0 for

improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. With this appropriation the Governor’s

Commission on Disability was able to fund several programs. These initiatives include:

• Created a quality of life grant program awarding over $200.0 to fifteen nonprofit agencies

and organizations around the state. There were over 80 applications for funding and

$1,300.0 in requests. The GCD reviewed the applications to assure that funding was

provided to various disability proposal and spread across the state;

• Established a clearinghouse of disability related programs. This will allow individuals

with disabilities to have a central resource to find disability organizations in New

Mexico;

• Support the Southwest Conference on Disability. This is the only cross disability

conference in the nation which focuses disability from the social, cultural model as

oppose to an academic or medical perspective. Attendees at the conference include

people with disabilities, family members, service providers, researchers and other

interested parties. The conference was held October 4-6, 2006 and was the most

successful conference to date. There were approximately 600 attendees from 24 states

and 3 countries. Over 140 New Mexicans with disabilities were provided full

scholarships. Governor Bill Richardson, U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, and Speaker of the

House Ben Lujan spoke at the conference giving their support of disability issues.;

• Support the John Hopkins Institute symposium on paralysis in conjunction with UNM;

• Organize a symposium to define quality of life from a disability perspective. Most

quality of life definitions are based on people without disabilities. Quality of life differs

for different people and different disabilities. This is a symposium to focus on a quality

of life perspective for people with disabilities in New Mexico.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

Could these funds be better utilized by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the

Commission for the Blind that provide direct services to enable persons with disabilities engage

in productive employment and lives.

MW/mt