Lawmakers support LFC dozen bills before opening gavel

The Legislative Finance Committee staff presented a slew of bill recommendations to lawmakers Monday, just before the start of the 60-day legislative session. Lawmakers agreed to sponsor 12 of the 13 bills recommendations.
The bills have not been formally introduced, but have sponsors for both chambers.
The dozen bills included new funds to address wildfires; an overhaul of the child welfare agency; and capped payouts for settlements and judgements against state agencies, among others.
LFC Director Charles Sallee said the creation of two separate, wildfire funds could help prepare before they happen, and help after they spark.
“One of the issues has been how we use the emergency to both prepare for – like prepositioning – as well as respond to actually fight the fire,” Sallee told lawmakers.
The bills would be cataloged by the New Mexico Forestry Division, and could receive federal or state emergency funds, reimbursements, grants, and other sources of money.
New Mexico’s new wildland firefighters say they’re making steady progress toward Hotshot status
Another bill would overhaul the Children Youth and Families Department, based on previous recommendations from LFC analysts. This would include changing the program to address infants exposed to drugs to be led instead by the Health Care Authority, after findings that the current program is failing to spend federal funds or connect families to services. The bill would further update state statutes to focus on prevention of child maltreatment; move an oversight board under the authority of the courts and would establish a commission to appoint the department’s leader.
Two sets of bills would address concerns about the increased costs of settlements with state agencies. The first bill would cap the maximum amounts the state’s insurer – the Risk Management Division, a part of the wide-ranging General Services Department – would pay.
Those caps include $500,000 in property damages, $1.05 million in general liability.
The second bill would also charge the Risk Management Division to investigate significant losses such as a death or serious injury caused by a state agency’s alleged actions.
Other bills added definitions for funds, asking for state agencies to submit accountability plans for spending on pilot projects, and requiring more reporting for how New Mexico spends on public education reform initiatives.
