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 Papen
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
01/28/08
HB
SHORT TITLE Legislative Behavioral Health Caucus
SJM 31
ANALYST Hanika-Ortiz
ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT (dollars in thousands)
FY08
FY09
FY10 3 Year
Total Cost
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
Total
$.01
Various
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Joint Memorial 31 supports the creation of a bipartisan Legislative behavioral health
caucus to provide a venue for Legislators to learn about important mental health issues affecting
New Mexicans.
The Memorial resolves that a copy of this Memorial be transmitted to the National Alliance on
Mental Illness-New Mexico.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
Information obtained might help Legislators make better decisions in promoting coordinated
diagnosis and treatment that lower overall costs for behavioral health care.
Information obtained may also help Legislators assist businesses in lowering employee health
care costs by providing information on mental health programs that have been successful in
lowering absenteeism and increasing work productivity.
Costs to State agencies will be determined by how often they will be requested to provide
educational opportunities for Legislators and the public relating to behavioral health.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
The Memorial provides for the following:
pg_0002
Senate Joint Memorial 31 – Page
2
•
Good mental health is essential to everyone's overall health and well-being;
•
Mental health problems can affect all areas of a person's life;
•
The United States Department of Health and Human Services reports that mental health
problems strike one in four Americans each year regardless of age, gender, race,
ethnicity, religion or economic status; and
•
All Americans are vulnerable to chronic mental health problems associated with trauma
and can benefit greatly from early identification and treatment;
•
The United States Surgeon General reports that one-third of adults and one-half of young
people with mental health problems go without the help they need;
•
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that mental disorders are implicated in
ninety percent of the thirty thousand suicides and the six hundred fifty thousand suicide
attempts in the country each year;
•
The Surgeon General also estimates that untreated and mistreated mental illness costs
American business, government and taxpayers approximately eighty-three billion dollars
($83,000,000,000) annually;
•
The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute
ranks New Mexico fifty-first in the nation in per capita mental health spending;
•
People with mental illness who are in recovery can lead full, productive lives in the
community;
•
A Legislative behavioral health caucus would create a venue for Legislators to learn
about important mental health issues affecting the residents of New Mexico;
•
A behavioral health caucus would provide Legislators an opportunity to examine the role
mental health plays in every community and in every sector of government, including
Medicaid, criminal justice, education and child welfare;
•
Members of the behavioral health caucus would send a strong message about the priority
of mental health and wellness and of finding solutions that bridge unmet needs, improve
the quality and outcomes of care and improve our communities;
•
A behavioral health caucus would help ensure that mental health services, including
community supports, are funded at appropriate levels; and
•
A behavioral health caucus would contribute to the knowledge of Legislative committees
and address issues that could affect access to mental health services.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
The Memorial further resolves that the Legislature and the State of New Mexico support the
creation of a New Mexico Behavioral Health Caucus and encourages members of both houses
and all political parties to join.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
The Memorial further resolves that the Behavioral Health Caucus work with various behavioral
health advocacy groups to educate the Legislature and the public.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
Since 2003 the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, with over 90 Members of Congress in
membership, was created to discuss awareness and find solutions in a bipartisan manner on
pg_0003
Senate Joint Memorial 31 – Page
3
improving mental health care and its delivery to Americans. The Congressional Mental Health
Caucus works in a bipartisan manner to inform, educate, and advocate to Members of Congress
and the public on a variety of mental health issues; to include
•
Reducing negativism & stigma: Raising awareness on both mental health and
mental illness and provide examples of successful treatments for leading healthy and
productive lives;
•
Aiding efforts to access mental health services: Identifying who, when, and where
mental health services are offered, including Medicare and Medicaid, that can improve
the lives of anyone afflicted, especially low-income families, and seniors;
•
Improving work-related productivity: Assisting businesses to lower employee health
care costs by providing information and mental health programs that have been
successful in lowering absenteeism and improved work productivity; and
•
Protecting veterans: Ensuring all men, women, and their families in any uniform
returning from active duty in Afghanistan and Iraq receive access to mental health
services for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other related mental health
conditions anytime in the future.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
The Memorial does not include dates by which the Behavioral Health Caucus is to be made
operational.
WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL
The Legislature may miss opportunities to find solutions in a bipartisan manner on improving
mental health care and its delivery to New Mexicans with behavioral health issues.
AHO/mt