JOINT RELEASE: Wildfire Relief and Behavioral Health Expansion Bill Signed into Law
Santa Fe, NM - Today, House and Senate Leadership celebrated the signing of House Bill 1 into law. The legislation, which passed both chambers of the legislature with broad bipartisan support during the recent special session, dedicates $100 million in critical relief funding to statewide victims of recent wildfires and flooding, as well as $3 million to expand assisted outpatient treatment for behavioral health.
“We are proud to deliver urgent, vital relief to assist New Mexicans who have lost their homes and businesses, and continue to face extreme threats in the wake of fires and floods this summer,” said House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque). “This funding will help our neighbors recover, rebuild, and improve their communities’ resiliency to better weather natural disasters in the years ahead.”
The $100 million for relief, recovery, and mitigation efforts for communities impacted by the recent wildfires and flooding across the state, includes:
$70 million for zero-interest reimbursable loans for public projects to replace or repair infrastructure damaged by fires and subsequent flooding
$10 million to the Mescalero Apache Tribe for damages and losses caused by the fires
$10 million to the Energy Minerals and Natural Resources Department for wildfire mitigation, watershed restoration, slope stabilization, erosion control, post-fire management, and infrastructure reconstruction
$10 million to the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to provide support for individuals and businesses with processes for receiving public assistance funding and making private insurance claims
House Bill 1 will also further expand assisted outpatient treatment and competency diversion programs through the Administrative Office of the Courts for New Mexicans who are struggling with behavioral health. Programs will now be available in the First, Second, Third, Fourth and Twelfth Judicial Districts, spanning Bernalillo, Doña Ana, Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, Los Alamos, San Miguel, and Otero Counties. The additional funding means close to 75% of New Mexicans will live in areas where these programs are available.
“By improving the courts’ capacity to provide appropriate services, we are building out our systems so that New Mexicans can get help when they need it,” said Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe). “We are committed to continuing the ongoing work to rebuild our behavioral healthcare system, address the root causes of crime, and make our communities safer.”
House Bill 1 was sponsored by House Majority Floor Leader Gail Chasey (D-Albuquerque), Rep. Harlan Vincent (R-Glencoe), Senator William F. Burt (R-Alamogordo), and Senator Liz Stefanics (D-Cerrillos).
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