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 Ryan

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

01/25/08

HB

SHORT TITLE Spinal Cord Related Paralysis Research

SB 208

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$500.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

The Governor’s Commission on Disability (GCD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Bill appropriates $500 thousand from the general fund to the Governor’s Commission on

Disability programs, education and research relating to improvements for spinal cord-related

paralysis, or transverse myelitis, through contracts with a regional not-for-profit organization that

can provide therapeutic programming and education, and to encourage research, to be distributed

as follows:

1.

three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) to increase disability-friendly recreation and

tourism and provide adaptive swimming and skiing as well as hippotherapy in New

Mexico;

2.

eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) to organize and administer a conference promoting

medical cooperation and research on paralysis through a regional symposium; and

3.

one hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000) to expand public awareness of spinal

cord-related paralysis in the medical community and among the general population of the

state.

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 FY09 shall revert to

the general fund.

Senate Bill 208 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Governor’s Commission on Disability (GCD) feels the items contained in the bill are

important. Last week, GCD received a call from someone who got a spinal-cord injury by

simply lifting weights. Many military men and women will return with spinal chord injuries.

GCD feels there is a need for awareness and research for spinal chord injuries. GCD used $80.0

from the first Quality of Life appropriation to sponsor the first Southwestern Neuroimmunologic

Symposium. The Quality of Life Small Grants Program provided grants for programs to help

New Mexicans with spinal related injuries.

GCD feels as part of our mission and the directive provided by statute, the agency should not

concentrate on any one disability but all disabilities and throughout the state.

MW/bb