HB 261 allocates $3 million from the general fund to New Mexico's Public Education Department to provide grants for small rural school districts to purchase buses specifically for student activities (such as sports and clubs). The funds must be expended by the end of fiscal year 2027, with any unused balance reverting to the general fund. This bill directly affects small rural school districts that lack resources for activity transportation. It is a funding measure, not a policy change, providing targeted financial support for existing extracurricular needs.
HB 83 requires New Mexico's Health Care Authority to set minimum Medicaid reimbursement rates for personal care services: $23.50 per hour for consumer-delegated care and $19.78 per hour for consumer-directed care. It mandates that personal care service agencies using Medicaid funds must spend at least 70% of the reimbursement on direct care worker costs, including wages, benefits, training, and supervision. The bill defines "direct care workforce expenditures" to cover all employee-related expenses and requires agencies to maintain records for audits. A $51.4 million appropriation from the general fund supports this fee schedule update for fiscal year 2027. This directly affects agencies providing Medicaid-covered personal care services to individuals needing assistance with daily living activities.
SB 5 appropriates $3 million from the state general fund to the University of New Mexico Board of Regents over fiscal years 2027-2029. The funding directly supports hospitals in New Mexico’s medically underserved rural communities to develop and expand physician residency programs in family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics. This aims to address physician shortages by creating training opportunities in critical specialties where healthcare access is limited. Unspent funds will revert to the general fund by the end of 2029. The bill focuses on concrete funding for residency expansion, not new regulations or long-term policy changes.
HB 251 creates the New Homes Development Program under New Mexico's Mortgage Finance Authority to provide homebuyer assistance. It offers up to $10,000 per qualifying homebuyer to purchase a newly occupied home (with a certificate of occupancy issued within 12 months) through direct disbursement at the time of purchase. The program requires annual reporting starting in 2027 on grants awarded and program recommendations, and appropriates $30 million from the general fund for fiscal years 2027-2029, with unused funds reverting to the general fund by 2029. This directly affects first-time homebuyers meeting eligibility criteria who purchase recently built homes in New Mexico.
HB 48 allocates $2 million from the state general fund to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NM Tech) for seismology equipment and expanding earthquake monitoring capabilities. The funding supports the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources at NM Tech, working with the Oil Conservation Division of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. The bill requires all funds to be spent by the end of fiscal year 2027, with any unspent money reverting to the general fund. This directly affects NM Tech's geoscience operations and state agencies responsible for monitoring seismic activity and oil industry compliance. The measure focuses on upgrading physical equipment and network infrastructure for earthquake detection.
SB 42 allocates $10 million from the state general fund to construct, equip, and furnish a new primary health care building in Taos County, directly benefiting residents by expanding local health services. The funds must be spent between fiscal years 2027 and 2030, with any unspent balance reverting to the general fund by 2030. This is a funding bill focused on physical infrastructure, not policy changes.
HB 140 appropriates $500,000 from the general fund to the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority for ongoing oversight duties required by the Affordable Housing Act. This funding ensures the Authority can monitor and administer existing affordable housing programs without needing annual budget requests. The bill specifies that unspent funds in any fiscal year will not return to the general fund, providing stable, long-term support for oversight. It directly affects the Mortgage Finance Authority, which manages New Mexico's affordable housing programs, by securing dedicated resources for compliance and program management. The bill does not create new housing policies but provides essential funding for existing oversight mechanisms.
HB 242 provides a temporary 1.68% annual cost-of-living pay increase for eligible New Mexico public retirees aged 65+ who have retired for at least two years. It applies to normal retirees, disability retirees, and survivors meeting specific criteria, with an additional 2.5% increase for retirees with pensions under $25,000 annually. The state appropriates $10 million from the general fund for fiscal years 2027-2028 to fund these adjustments, starting July 1, 2026. The bill ensures retirees receive these increases without compounding and allows them to opt out of the adjustment.
SB 159 requires the University of New Mexico's Board of Regents to provide $27 million in state funds over fiscal years 2027-2029 to cover unreimbursed costs for eligible healthcare facilities hosting medical residency programs. Eligible entities include federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, independent psychiatric facilities, and critical access hospitals that sponsor accredited residency programs in New Mexico. The funding covers resident salaries, supervising physician costs, accreditation, and program administration, with priority given to New Mexico residents. Unspent funds by the end of 2029 will revert to the state general fund.
HB 133, the General Appropriation Act of 2026, allocates state funds for fiscal year 2027 to all New Mexico state agencies, departments, and programs. It establishes rules for managing these funds, including requiring unspent balances from fiscal year 2026 or 2027 to revert to the general fund unless otherwise specified. The bill also defines key budget terms like "general fund" and "internal service funds" to standardize financial reporting across state agencies. As a procedural budget bill, it focuses on funding mechanisms rather than policy changes affecting citizens.
