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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Crook
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2/5/06
HB 539
SHORT TITLE Long-term Residential Treatment Facility
SB
ANALYST Hoffmann
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY06
FY07
$3,600.0
Recurring
General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates Senate Bill 511.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Higher Education Department (HED)
Public Education Department (PED)
Department of Health (DOH)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 539 appropriates $3,600,000 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New
Mexico Highlands University to fund a collaborative program with the university’s School of
Social Work for a statewide long-term multi-jurisdictional residential treatment facility.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of $3,600,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.
Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2007 shall revert
to the general fund.
pg_0002
House Bill 539 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
This appropriation was not included in the 2006 Legislative priorities from NMHU to the New
Mexico Higher Education Department. This project was not on the list of NMHED's funding rec-
ommendations, and was therefore not reviewed.
According to the Department of Health, SB 511 does not address population to be served, type of
treatment, capacity needs, workforce issues, or location. Historically, an institution of higher
education does not administer treatment programs.
The Department of Health also states that any proposed treatment facility should result from sys-
tem-wide planning through the Behavioral Health Purchasing Collaborative, addressing such is-
sues as workforce need, professional competence and assurance of non-duplication of services.
According to the Public Education Department, the 2005 – 2006 special education student data
report for students ages 3 – 21, December 1st annual report showed that:
743 students were served in a homebound/short-term hospital program
142 were served in juvenile detention/corrections settings
263 students were served in residential programs
The PED would need to work with NMHU to determine how students placed in the residential
treatment center will receive educational services. A system for counting school-aged students
placed in the residential treatment center will also need to be established.
DUPLICATION
This is a duplicate of Senate Bill 511.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
How many individuals will this program serve.
Are the services already available from other sources.
CH/yr