HOUSE BILL 158

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Charlotte Little and Sarah Silva and Meredith A. Dixon

and Michelle Paulene Abeyta and Anita Gonzales

FOR THE LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC FUNDS; REQUIRING STATE AGENCIES TO SUBMIT AN ACCOUNTABILITY AND EVALUATION PLAN FOR PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE GOVERNMENT RESULTS AND OPPORTUNITY EXPENDABLE TRUST TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE BUDGET DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

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

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Accountability in Government Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT RESULTS AND OPPORTUNITY EXPENDABLE TRUST--ACCOUNTABILITY AND EVALUATION PLANS.--

          A. The division director and the director of the committee shall develop instructions for agencies to submit an accountability and evaluation plan for each program or project that is funded by an appropriation from the government results and opportunity expendable trust. An accountability and evaluation plan shall, for each program or project:

                (1) identify the goals, objectives and expected outputs and outcomes;

                (2) describe the specific activities of the program or project and how those activities will achieve expected outcomes;

                (3) provide a summary of whether the program or project is evidence-based, research-based, promising or does not yet have rigorous research on its effectiveness;

                (4) provide a list of performance measures and a monitoring plan to regularly assess performance;

                (5) provide an evaluation plan to assess the causal impact on expected outcomes; and

                (6) describe the methods and time line for releasing accountability and evaluation results to the division director, the director of the committee and the public.

          B. On or before May 1 of each year, the division director shall notify each agency required to submit an accountability and evaluation plan. The agency shall submit the plan to the division director and the director of the committee on or before July 1 of the year the appropriation is made and, if the division director and the director of the committee require, a revised plan on or before September 1 of the same year.

          C. On or before July 15 of the final year of an appropriation for a program or project, the division director and the director of the committee shall consider the evaluation performed on the program or project and make recommendations regarding inclusion of the program in the agency's budget for the following fiscal year."

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