NOTE:  As provided in LFC policy, this report is intended only for use by the standing finance committees of the legislature.  The Legislative Finance Committee does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this report when used for other purposes.

 

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

 

 

 

SPONSOR:

Maes

 

DATE TYPED:

2/12/03

 

HB

 

 

SHORT TITLE:

Santa Fe National Cemetery Honor Guard

 

SB

417

 

 

ANALYST:

Chabot

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

$75.0

 

 

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

LFC Files

 

No Response Received From

New Mexico Veterans’ Service Commission (VSC)

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

Senate Bill 417 appropriates $75.0 from the general fund to VSC for the purpose of contracting for bugler and honor guards for veteran burials at the Santa Fe National Cemetery

 

    Significant Issues

 

The Department of Veterans Affairs pamphlet Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents, 2002 Edition states on page 42 “Upon request, the Department of Defense will provide military funeral honor for the burial of military members and eligible veterans.  A basic military honors ceremony consists of the folding and presentation of the United States flag and the playing of Taps by a bugler, if available, or by electronic recording.  A funeral honors detail to perform this ceremony consists of two or more uniformed members of the armed forces, with at least one member from the service in which the deceased veteran served.”

 

The Department of Defense currently has less than 5,000 buglers that can perform this function and also has difficulty in providing funeral honors details due to operational commitments.

 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

The appropriation of $75.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2004 shall revert to the general fund.

 

TECHNICAL ISSUES

 

Recommend that the following be inserted in line 20 after the word “guard”:  “from a recognized veterans’ organization active in the Santa Fe area”

 

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

 

The sponsor should consider introducing a memorial to write a letter to the New Mexico congressional delegation to seek funding for providing services to deceased veterans if the Department of Defense and/or the Department of Veterans Affairs are unable to provide these services.

 

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

  1. Should similiar services be provided at the Fort Bayard and Fort Stanton cemeteries?

 

 

GAC/yr