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

SPONSOR Ulibarri

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/12/2007

HB

SHORT TITLE NM Tech Homeland Security Center

SB 775

ANALYST McOlash

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$36.0 Non-Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 775 appropriates $36,000 from the General Fund to the NM Tech Regents for

expenditure in FY 2008 to restore previous cuts and provide funds for expansion of the

Homeland Security Center.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $36,000 contained in this bill is a non-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

New Mexico Tech is leading a collaborative effort to establish a center that would provide

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies a facility that offers, among

other things, standardized emergency operations training for first responders, and advanced

Senate Bill 775 – Page

2

training for emergency operations and medical personnel. This center is operated out of the town

of Playas, New Mexico.

This request was submitted by NM Tech to HED for review of additional funds to the base

funding in the amount of $35,900 but is not included in the Department’s funding

recommendation. Instead, the Department is recommended a continuance of FY07 recurring

funding in the amount of $308,400, with no additional funding at this time.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

HB 7/SB 2 (General Appropriation Acts) appropriate $308,400 of state funds and $5,000,000 in

federal funds for the Homeland Security Center.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

New Mexico Tech opened the Playas Research and Training Center, which is located in the boot

heel area of southwest New Mexico, on December 2, 2004. The Center is the site for national

homeland security training and research programs. New Mexico State University’s program

focuses on agricultural and food supply security.

BM/nt