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

SPONSOR Campos

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/9/06

HB

SHORT TITLE

Community & Junior College Athletics Programs

SB 621

ANALYST Hoffmann

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$300.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB 73.

Relates to an appropriation in the General Appropriation Act.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 621 appropriates $300,000 from the general fund to the Higher Education Depart-

ment for athletics at New Mexico Junior College, Luna Community College, and Mesalands

Community College.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $300,000 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.

Senate Bill 621 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Higher Education Department provided the following information.

The athletics program of any higher education institution is considered a special project. Such

projects are listed as Research and Public Service Projects (RPSPs) by colleges and universities

where they appear as line items in the budget. These programs are in addition to any Instruction

and General (I&G) budget appropriations that a college or university receives. As such, institu-

tions will annually submit its RPSP priority lists to NMHED for consideration.

For FY07, both NMJC and MCC submitted their athletic program RPSPs to NMHED for

$114,600 and $197,939 in General Fund respectively. While universities may submit RPSP re-

quests to the Department, it is the Governor’s Office that will make a final determination in ap-

proving these projects. However, NMHED does recommend a $21,800 General Fund special ap-

propriation to MCC for its intercollegiate rodeo program. This non-recurring appropriation cor-

responds with Governor Richardson’s statewide promotion of college rodeo programs.

As for LCC, the college did not include athletics in its RPSP priority list to NMHED. Conse-

quently, the request was not reviewed nor recommended by the Department for inclusion in

FY07.

The LFC’s appropriation recommendations include a lump-sum amount of $38,700 for athletics

at New Mexico Junior College.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

Senate Bill 621 does not provide any information on how the appropriation would be distributed

among the three colleges by the Higher Education Department.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

House Bill 73 would appropriate $200,000 for intercollegiate athletics at Mesalands Community

College.

The General Appropriation Act (HAFC/H 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 78) includes $76,500 for athletics at

New Mexico Junior College.

CH/mt