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

SPONSOR Feldman

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/31/07

2/17/07 HB

SHORT TITLE Trauma System Strategic Priorities

SB 154

ANALYST Geisler

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$7,700.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 154, for the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee, would appropriate

$7.7 million from the general fund to the Department of Health (DOH) for expenditure in 2008

and subsequent years to support the state’s trauma system priorities. Any unexpended or

unencumbered balance remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation contained in SB 154 is included in the Governor’s executive budget

recommendation for DOH, which includes the department’s base funding for trauma system

priorities of $4.7 million and an increase of $3 million in 2008. The Legislative Finance

Committee budget recommendation for DOH includes base funding for trauma of $4.7 million.

DOH notes by statute five percent of appropriation may be used by DOH for administrative

costs, including monitoring, trauma system development and providing technical assistance.

Senate Bill 154 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DOH notes the distribution of funds included in SB 154 would be determined by the New

Mexico Trauma System Fund Authority, which was created during the 2006 Legislative Session

(HB 266). According to the 2005 Governor’s Trauma Task Force Report:

“[The] New Mexico trauma care system and services are on the brink of collapse. Trauma

centers are facing a breakdown caused by the surge in patients, the decline of specialty

physicians and nurses to provide care and the lack of funding to sustain trauma center

designation. These facts motivated the New Mexico Legislature to pass House Memorial 20 in

the 2005 New Mexico Legislature. The Governor’s Trauma Task Force was created to make

recommendations to address the crisis. Thirty-six physicians, hospital administrators, emergency

medical personnel, insurers, Medicaid professionals, rehabilitation administrators, injury

prevention specialists and others statewide served on the Governor’s Trauma Task Force,

meeting monthly to confront trauma system challenges."

SB 154 defines a state’s trauma system priorities as including: sustain and develop new hospital-

based trauma centers, integrate rehabilitation facilities into the trauma system, enhance trauma

education, improve pre-hospital trauma care and increase injury prevention programs. This

trauma system development would strengthen all health care statewide.

DUPLICATION

DOH notes that the appropriation contained in SB 154 is duplicated by the executive budget

recommendation for DOH. However, the Legislative Finance Committee budget

recommendation for DOH only includes base funding of $4.7 million.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

DOH suggests that SB 154 should include language appropriating funds to the statewide Trauma

Fund with Trauma System Fund Authority oversight.

GG/nt