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 Nava
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
1/22/08
HB
SHORT TITLE NMSU Underrepresented Students Alliance
SB 74
ANALYST Cox
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY08
FY09
$270.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
NMSU Underrepresented Students Alliance – (NMSU-USA)
Higher Education Department – (HED)
New Mexico State University – (NMSU)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 74 would appropriate two hundred seventy thousand dollars ($270,000) from the
general fund to the Board of Regents of New Mexico State University for expenditure in fiscal
year 2009 to pay for recruitment and retention efforts of the Alliance for Underrepresented
Students.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of two hundred seventy thousand dollars ($270,000) contained in this bill is a
recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at
the end of fiscal year 2009 shall revert to the general fund.
The Higher Education Department includes this project in its recommendation and states that it
would not oppose the bill if funding is available.
The HED’s evaluation table of FY09 Research and Public Service Projects provided to the LFC
pg_0002
Senate Bill 74 – Page
2
classifies this project as a “supports state priorities" project. Reasons for this classification
decision are not provided. (LFC Report 07-20, Higher Education Department Review of
Selected Research and Public Service Projects, January 12, 2008, Table 4, p73.)
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
The Underrepresented Students Alliance (NMSU-USA) states that this Bill will expand
community activities, contributing to recruitment, retention, and progression at community
colleges. Specifically, this Bill is aimed at ‘at-risk’ freshman engineering students, expanding the
number and range of mentoring activities, and expending support activities at NMSU M-TEC
laboratory (a manufacturing program facility for hands on design at NMSU).
PRC/mt