The 2020 New Mexico Legislature ends on February 20. Although primarily a short, budget-focussed session, we have hopes of enacting significant environmental protection and mitigation laws. These one pagers go into greater detail on some of our top priority bills. For a complete list of the bills that we are supporting and their status, also see the 2020 Legislative Tracker.
HB 357 – Limit NM Unit Fund Uses
15 years and $16 million in public funds have been wasted on Gila Diversion planning with no viable or affordable project proposed. HB357 redirects use of the NM Unit Fund’s remaining $72 million to help southwest New Mexico communities provide secure water supplies.
Fact sheet | Legislation
SB 2 – Electric Vehicle Income Tax Credit
Provides an income tax credit for the purchase or lease of a qualifying electric vehicles; credit for EV outlet installation; and establish a fair registration fee to fund road construction and maintenance.
Fact Sheet | Legislation
SB 33 – Study Funding Of Nongame Species Conservation
Makes a one-time appropriation of $200,000 to the NM Department of Game and Fish for a study to determine unmet funding needs and possible sources of new funding for
the conservation of nongame wildlife species, state-threatened and endangered species and species of greatest conservation need.
Fact Sheet | Legislation
SB 75 – Wildlife Trafficking Act
The legislation would prohibit the sale or trade of any live animal part or product of endangers animals such as elephants, pangolins, great apes, marine turtles and endangered parrots.
Fact Sheet | Legislation
SB 114 – Community Energy Efficiency Development Block Grant
The Community Efficient Energy Development (CEED) Block Grant bill will fund local governments’ targeted, flexible energy-efficiency investments into underserved communities to cut energy bills, improve the quality of affordable housing and further the state’s clean-energy goals.
Fact Sheet | Legislation
SB 143 – Community Solar Act
Community solar refers to a solar array located within a community where multiple customers can subscribe to a portion of the solar array and receive a credit on their utility bill for their share of the power that the solar panels produce.
Fact Sheet | Legislation
Featured image from Alpha Stock Images
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