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

SPONSOR Taylor

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/11/07

HB

SHORT TITLE Indian Arts Institute Film & TV Workshop

SB 934

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$300.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Indian Affairs Department (IAD)

Department of Military Affairs (DMA)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 934 appropriates $300.0 thousand from the general fund to the Indian Affairs

Department 2008 to initiate a statewide pilot project for a sovereign nation service corps

(“Corps") that provides tribal youth with an opportunity to pursue higher education.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $300 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

Indian Affairs reports AmeriCorps, a program component of the Corporation for National and

Community Service (“CNCS"), is a community based volunteer program that matches paid

volunteers with communities in need. The Sovereign Nation Service Corps of New Mexico

Senate Bill 934 – Page

2

(“Corps") would be a program modeled after the AmeriCorps*VISTA program. The VISTA

program provides volunteers in highly disadvantaged communities in an attempt to bring low

and income individuals and communities out of poverty. The proposed pilot program would

provide stipends and scholarship opportunities to youth, in return for volunteer service in New

Mexico Tribal communities. Scholarships (educational awards) could be used for a period of up

to 7 years or until degree completion or could be used to pay off already incurred student loan

debt.

In addition to providing a $10,000 stipend and health benefits, students who volunteer with the

Corps can earn a educational award (approx. $4,725) provided by the NM Commission for

Community Volunteerism. It is anticipated that most of the students who earn this award will

attend NM higher educational institutions. Further, technical (e.g., job training and skill

building) and career advancement opportunities will be provided to all student volunteers.

VISTA volunteers will provide technical and organizational support to the NM Indian Affairs

Department (“IAD") to initiate the pilot program.

MW/nt