HOUSE BILL 1

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first special session, 2025

INTRODUCED BY

Nathan P. Small and Meredith A. Dixon and Sarah Silva and George K. Muñoz

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FROM LEGISLATIVE CASH BALANCES FOR NECESSARY EXPENSES OF THE FIRST SPECIAL SESSION OF THE FIFTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PILOTS AND PROGRAMS; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION AND THE INDIAN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION AND PUBLIC RADIO, THE HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY FOR FOOD ASSISTANCE, HEALTH CARE AND MEDICAL SERVICES ASSISTANCE AND STAFFING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COSTS, THE REGULATION AND LICENSING DEPARTMENT FOR A SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INTERSTATE COMPACT AND NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY FOR A COLLEGE ASSISTANCE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM; MAKING CERTAIN TRANSFERS; REVERTING CERTAIN BALANCES FROM A LAWS 2023 GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATION TO THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. SPECIAL SESSION--APPROPRIATIONS.--

          A. The following amounts are appropriated from

legislative cash balances for expenditure in fiscal year 2026

for the following expenses of the first special session of the fifty-seventh legislature. Any unexpended balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2026 shall revert to legislative cash balances:

                (1) for the expense of the house of

representatives, one hundred five thousand dollars ($105,000) to be disbursed on vouchers signed by the speaker and the chief clerk of the house of representatives or the chief clerk's designee;

                (2) for the expense of the senate, seventy

thousand dollars ($70,000) to be disbursed on vouchers signed by the chair of the committees' committee and the chief clerk of the senate or the chief clerk's designee; and

                (3) for the expense of the legislative council service, sixty-five thousand dollars ($65,000) to be disbursed on vouchers signed by the director of the legislative council service or the director's designee.

          B. Following adjournment of the first special

session of the fifty-seventh legislature, expenditures authorized in this section shall be disbursed on vouchers signed by the director of the legislative council service or

the director's designee.

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION--ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS.--One million dollars ($1,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the administrative office of the courts for expenditure in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for the expansion of assisted outpatient treatment programs, competency diversion pilot programs and other behavioral health pilot programs. Any unexpended balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2027 shall revert to the general fund.

     SECTION 3. APPROPRIATIONS--EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION AND PUBLIC RADIO.--

          A. Five million five hundred sixty thousand nine hundred sixty-two dollars ($5,560,962) is appropriated from the general fund to the department of finance and administration for expenditure in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for educational television and public radio. Any unexpended balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2027 shall revert to the general fund.

          B. Four hundred twenty-nine thousand five hundred twenty-seven dollars ($429,527) is appropriated from the general fund to the Indian affairs department for expenditure in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for educational television and public radio provided by and for Indian nations, tribes and pueblos. Any unexpended balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2027 shall revert to the general fund.

     SECTION 4. APPROPRIATIONS--HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY.--

          A. The following amounts are appropriated from the general fund to the health care authority for expenditure in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Any unexpended balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2027 shall revert to the general fund:

                (1) four million six hundred thousand dollars ($4,600,000) to maintain the minimum federal supplemental nutrition assistance program benefit for elders and people with disabilities;

                (2) twelve million dollars ($12,000,000) to maintain the minimum federal supplemental nutrition assistance program benefit for lawfully present residents;

                (3) one million two hundred forty-six thousand dollars ($1,246,000) to prevent layoffs of employees administering the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program at the university of New Mexico and New Mexico state university;

                (4) eight million dollars ($8,000,000) to support food banks, food pantries, regional distribution organizations and partner agencies in the state to ensure access to nutritious food, including two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) for capacity building, transportation, logistics and operational expenses;

                (5) two million dollars ($2,000,000) to support educational-based centers and food pantry and food distribution programs in consultation with the early childhood education and care department, the public education department and the higher education department;

                (6) one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) to, in consultation with the workforce solutions department, support individuals in meeting work and volunteer requirements necessary to qualify for benefits under the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program and the state medicaid program;

                (7) four million four hundred thousand dollars ($4,400,000) for additional staffing and administrative costs for the income support division of the authority;

                (8) two million two hundred thousand dollars ($2,200,000) for services, additional staffing and administrative costs for the medical assistance division of the authority; and

                (9) ten million dollars ($10,000,000) for updates to information technology and other costs related to changes to eligibility requirements for medicaid and the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program made by Public Law No. 119–21.

          B. Three million dollars ($3,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the health care authority for expenditure in fiscal year 2026 to contract for health care services provided by nonprofit health care facilities not eligible under federal law to receive medicaid funding. Any unexpended balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2026 shall revert to the general fund.

          C. Seventeen million three hundred thousand dollars ($17,300,000) is appropriated from the health care affordability fund to the health care authority for expenditure in fiscal year 2026 to reduce health care premiums and cost sharing for New Mexico residents who purchase health care coverage on the New Mexico health insurance exchange contingent on enactment of House Bill 2 or similar legislation of the first special session of the fifty-seventh legislature. Any unexpended balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2026 shall revert to the health care affordability fund.

     SECTION 5. APPROPRIATIONS--REGULATION AND LICENSING DEPARTMENT.--The following amounts are appropriated from the general fund to the regulation and licensing department for expenditure in fiscal year 2026. Any unexpended balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2026 shall revert to the general fund:

          A. seven million eight hundred seventy-nine thousand six hundred six dollars ($7,879,606) for projected shortfalls in operating expenses and to remediate cash deficits; and

          B. one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) to implement interstate compacts regarding health care professionals.

     SECTION 6. APPROPRIATION--NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY.--Four hundred fifty thousand dollars ($450,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the board of regents of New Mexico state university for expenditure in fiscal year 2026 for the university's college assistance program to provide post-secondary educational needs of United States citizens and permanent legal residents who worked as migratory seasonal farmworkers, dairy workers and ranch workers. Any unexpended balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2026 shall revert to the general fund.

     SECTION 7. TRANSFERS.--

          A. Thirty million dollars ($30,000,000) is transferred from the general fund to the appropriation contingency fund.

          B. Fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) is transferred from the general fund to the rural health care delivery fund.

     SECTION 8. REVERSION OF BALANCES FROM LAWS 2023 GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATION TO THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.--On the effective date of this act, one hundred twenty million dollars ($120,000,000) of the unexpended balance of the appropriation to the human services department for the medical assistance program in the other category as provided in Laws 2023, Chapter 210, Section 4 shall revert to the general fund operating reserve, and within thirty days of the effective date of this act, the department of finance and administration shall transfer such unexpended balance to the general fund operating reserve.

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