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

SPONSOR Picraux

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2-2-06

HB HJM 43

SHORT TITLE Increase Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness

SB

ANALYST Collard

ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT (dollars in thousands)

FY06

FY07

FY08 3 Year

Total Cost

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

Total

N/A

$80.7

N/A

$80.7

Non-

Recurring General

Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to SB 463

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

Human Services Department (HSD)

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of House Joint Memorial

HJM 43 requests DOH, HSD, CYFD and PED to recognize the issues of fetal alcohol syndrome

(FAS) and to endorse the viewing of the video Gary and the Angles to increase FAS awareness

and to work with state and private entities to help prevent FAS. These departments would report

to the Health and Human Services Committee by November 1, 2006 about their progress in pre-

venting FAS, by promoting this film.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

While the joint memorial does not include an appropriation, HSD indicates it would be required

to report on progress to the LFC by November 30, 2006; this could require 1 FTE at a cost of

$80 thousand. CYFD notes there will be an unknown fiscal impact, presumably to be shared

across the participating agencies, to comply with the provisions to promote and facilitate viewing

of the film Gary and the Angels. PED indicates it would be responsible for directing staff to fa-

cilitate the viewing of the film in educational facilities and review the film to determine the age-

appropriateness of the film. PED estimates an additional cost of an educational administrator’s

time at $662.

House Joint Memorial Bill 43 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DOH indicates FAS is a condition characterized by abnormal facial features, growth retardation,

and central nervous system problems. One of every 1,000 children born in New Mexico has

FAS and the incidence of alcohol related birth defects in New Mexico is 1 in 100 births

(

http://casaa.unm.edu/PreventFAS/NM_Data.htm

). FAS is the only 100 percent completely pre-

ventable birth defect. If a mother does not drink alcohol during pregnancy, there is no possibility

of her baby acquiring the disabilities caused by alcohol consumption.

The DOH Office of Disability and Health has funded an FAS prevention project at the Univer-

sity of New Mexico (UNM) Center for Alcohol Substance Abuse and Addictions (CASAA)

since 1996. In 2003 the project, in conjunction with the UNM School of Medicine Department

of Pediatrics produced a 30 minute FAS awareness and prevention video I Don’t Want My

Daughter to Hate Me. The project has distributed more than 10,000 copies of the video in New

Mexico and the country and has bought airtime on network and cable channels in New Mexico.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

HSD indicates it supports efforts to bring health education to its members and would encourage

the contracted MCOs to do so as well; however, the provision on reporting progress could be dif-

ficult to achieve and would consume significant personnel resources to make happen.

CYFD states it will absorb the administrative costs associated with implementing this memorial.

RELATIONSHIP

House Joint Memorial 43 relates to Senate Bill 463 which appropriates $50 thousand from the

general fund to the DOH to promote FAS awareness through the video Gary and the Angels.

KBC/mt