2025 Legislative Updates

HB 25 - Land Grant-Merced Infrastructure Act

HB 25 creates a land grant assistance fund with an earmark of severance tax bonds (STBs).

A new bill is pending. This will include Acequias and Land Grants. A new number will be assigned soon.

Provide assistance to acequias in the adjudication process, including legal representation & experts. Support for water settlement negotiations and implementation.

SB208 Irrigation Works Fund Annual Transfer

Funding for acequia infrastructure: planning, engineering design, construction. Provide state cost share for federal programs including Army Corp (90/10), USDA/NRCS/FSA, and disaster assistance (75/25) FEMA, DHSEM, NRCS.

Funding to supplement the ACDIF, cost share for state and federal programs and disaster assistance (same as above).

The goal is to add this to the capital outlay bill.

Funding to have 1.0 FTE for the NM Acequia Commission to serve as director. This is needed for NMAC to fulfill its role as an advisory body.

HB 24 - Community Governance Attorney's Changes

Amendments would make acequia-serving non profits (along with land grant serving non profits and NMDOJ) to be qualified employers, removes cost share.

$10 million special appropriation to NMDA.

Provide the state cost share required to implement various settlements. This supports overall implementation for all parties and also funds the part of settlements that are specific to acequias.

SB21 Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act: to assume state permit authority for waters currently managed by the Environmental Protection Agency—set in place the necessary authority to build a comprehensive state permitting program.

SB22 Water Quality and Pollution: to establish a state-level permitting system for waters no longer federally protected under the Clean Water Act

Support legislation to establish a surface water quality permitting program. An estimated 95% of New Mexico’s rivers and streams and 88% of the state’s wetlands are at risk because protections under the federal Clean Water Act have been severely reduced following a Supreme Court ruling last May. State Senate Leader Wirth and Rep Ortez have introduced 2 bills (SB22 and SB21) that would fill in these gaps and protect New Mexico's waters.

HB92 Water quality construction projects funding (River Stewardship Program NMED).

SB108 Water and wetland improvement projects (River Stewardship Program NMED)

Support increased funding for the program that provides grants for river and watershed restoration.

Support funding to assist small political subdivisions with financial compliance.