Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D) & Rep. Gail Amstrong (R) at Food and Farms Day
We want to highlight a remarkable bipartisan outcome in the 2025 New Mexico State Legislature: HB77.The bill, sponsored by Rep. Liz Thomson, requires the Health Care Authority (NM Dept. of Health) to develop a plan to reach out to promote access to the benefits of the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP). See full text of HB77
And guess what? On Feb. 21, the full House of Representatives voted 63-0 in support of HB77.The Senate followed suit with 36-0 vote on March 21. This unanimous support for HB77 is a recognition that SNAP is an important tool in our efforts to address hunger and food insecurity in our state. And how often do we get full bipartisan agreement on anything?
Urging the Governor to Sign
A coalition of organizations, led by Roadrunner Food Bank and the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, has penned a letter to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham urging her to ratify HB77 before an April 11 deadline for the governor to sign a bill or issue a veto with an explanation.
"As you know, SNAP is the most effective way to address food insecurity. HB77 would institutionalize changes in SNAP administration first implemented by your administration to draw down federal funding for community based SNAP outreach and enrollment assistance...HB77 would increase administrative capacity of the Health Care Authority’s Income Support Division, by drawing federal resources to support enrollment and connect families who have greater barriers to accessing federal SNAP benefits to more personalized application assistance," said the letter.
How Will Federal Cuts Affect Food Programs in New Mexico?
Even if HB77 becomes law, there are challenges ahead, namely federal policy. The Republican-led Congress is continuing efforts to cut funding for SNAP, and this in the long run could affect the number of people in our state who receive this very important benefit. The debate on the budget and on the Farm Bill will determine not only funding levels for SNAP but also for the program that helps fund our Double-Up Food Bucks initiative and the farmers who grow food. (See this note from The Food Depot on the regional Farm to Food Bank program). More importantly, the funds to promote access to SNAP might see deep cuts.
Related coverage
Source NM USDA funding freeze impacts NM farmers and food they grow
The New Mexico Political Report Federal cuts and tariffs could lead to more food insecurity
Capital & Main USDA Cuts Hit Food Banks Across the Country: ‘This Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg"
Organ Mountain News Farmers, food banks decry program loss
The Santa Fe New Mexican: Hunger is a Policy Choice (subscription required)
Albuquerque Journal New Mexico food banks concerned Congress will cut food assistance dollars (subscription required)
Join us on April 10
We invite everyone to learn more about the impact of federal funding cuts at our Food/Hunger/Water/Ag Policy Workgroup Monthly meeting on Thursday, April 10 at Noon. We have invited a number of knowledgeable guests to tell us about coming challenges related to funding for SNAP and other important federal assistance programs. More details to come. To join us, use this Zoom link.
Other Important Legislative Outcomes in 2025
Representatives from the Roadrunner Coalition to End Hunger, the Food Depot, the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry New Mexico (LAM-NM), the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council (NMFAPC), the New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association, Meals on Wheels, and many other organizations spent days in the Roundhouse advocating for anti-hunger initiatives this legislative session. The success of many of priorities was contingent on the levels of funding contained in HB2 & 3, the budget document that will guide spending in the next fiscal year (and sometimes beyond the next fiscal year). Here is a summary, courtesy of the NMFAPC and LAM-NM.
Approvals
- $1 million for WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
- $430,000 for the NM Grown Approved Supplier Program
- $5 million for Ag Water Resilience Program
- $2 million for the Healthy Food Financing Fun (HFFF)
- $7.848 million for the Healthy Universal School Meals for fiscal year 2025 shortfall,
- $3.054 million for the Healthy Universal School Meals prior year shortfall
- $5 million for the Healthy Universal School Meals
- $500,000 for outdoor classrooms
- $3 million for Tribal and Local Health Councils
- $10 million for Food Assistance Programs (allocated to New Mexico food banks)
Some initiatives that did not receive specific funding in the FY26 budget
- $2.3 million New Mexico Grown for K-12 (NM Public Education Department will need to pull funding from unencumbered funds or other areas as deemed appropriate)
- $1.5 Million for NM Grown for Senior Meal Programs. (Funding could be obtained via the NM Aging and Long-Term Services Department Kiki Saavedra Fund)
- $4 million appropriation for NM college students struggling to meet their basic needs was not included. (see related coverage)
Interfaith Hunger Coalition (New Mexico) @ihc-nm.bsky.social
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