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| SPONSOR: | Pinto | DATE TYPED: | 02/22/99 | HB | |||
| SHORT TITLE: | Tohatchi Special Education Students | SB | 609 | ||||
| ANALYST: | L. Kehoe | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY99 | FY2000 | FY99 | FY2000 | ||
| $ 67.8 | Recurring | General Fund | |||
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates/Conflicts with/Companion to/Relates to
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
State Department of Education and Office of Indian Affairs did not respond to request for analysis in time for hearing.
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 609 appropriates $67,750 from the general fund to the New Mexico Office of Indian Affairs to provide after-school vocational education to special education and other students from six to twelve years of age in Tohatchi located in McKinley County.
Significant Issues
Senate Bill 609 specifically requests "after school vocational education" for special education and other students from "six to twelve years of age." The age provision in the bill makes the intent unclear. As defined in Article 14, Section 22-14-1, "vocational education" means vocational or technical training or retraining conducted as part of a program designed to enable an individual to engage in a remunerative occupation. Vocational education may provide, but is not limited to guidance and counseling, vocational instruction, training for vocational education instructors, transportation, and training material and equipment."." It would appear that special education students and other students from six to twelve years of age may be too young for vocational education.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation is made to the Office of Indian Affairs to provide the educational services. The staff of OIA does not have the staff nor the expertise to provide such services to students. Perhaps it was the intent of the sponsor that the appropriation be made to OIA to contract for the services intended in the bill.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
Proposed amendment to Senate Bill 609: On page 1, line 19, after the word "of" insert the words "contracting services to", and delete the word "providing" and insert in lieu thereof the words "provide for."
LMK/gm