Summary:

 House Bill 206 (HB 206) authorizes the New Mexico Finance Authority to make loans or grants from the Water Project Fund for certain water projects and declares an emergency. 
The New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee endorsed this bill.
 

Legislation Overview:

 House Bill 206 (HB 206) authorizes the New Mexico Finance Authority to make loans or grants from the Water Project Fund (Section 72-4A-9 NMSA 1978) to the following qualified entities for the following qualifying water projects:
Water Storage, Conveyance and Delivery Projects: 
•	Acoma Pueblo (Cibola County);
•	Mescalero Apache Tribe (Otero County);
•	Los Alamos County (2 projects);
•	City of Alamogordo (Otero County);
•	City of Albuquerque (Bernalillo County);
•	City of Aztec (San Juan County);
•	City of Bloomfield (San Juan County);
•	City of Deming (Luna County)(2 projects)
•	City of Espanola (Rio Arriba and Santa Fe counties)(3 projects);
•	City of Farmington (San Juan County);
•	City of Gallup (McKinley County);
•	City of Las Cruces in (Dona Ana County)(3 projects);
•	City of Portales (Roosevelt County)(2 projects);
•	City of Ruidoso Downs (Lincoln County);
•	City of Santa Fe Santa Fe County) (2 projects);
•	City of Texico (Curry County);
•	Town of Bernalillo in Sandoval County;
•	Town of Estancia (Torrance County);
•	Village of Cloudcroft (Otero County)
•	Village of Columbus (Luna County);
•	Village of Des Moines Water System (Union County)
•	Village of Logan (Quay County);
•	Village of Ruidoso (Lincoln County) (3 projects);
•	Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority (WUA) (Curry County);
•	EMWT Regional Water Association (RWA)(Torrance County);
•	Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (Bernalillo County);
•	El Valle de Los Ranchos Water and Sanitation District (WSD)(Taos County) (2 projects).
•	Pena Blanca WSD (Sandoval County);
•	Blanco Mutual Domestic Water Consumers and Mutual Sewage Works Association (MDWCMSWA) (San Juan County);
•	Penasco MDWCMSWA (Taos County);
•	Rio Chiquito MDWCMSWA (Rio Arriba and Santa Fe counties);
•	Flora Vista Mutual Domestic Water Association (MDWA) (San Juan County)(3 projects);
•	Bosque Gardens Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association (MDWCA) (Valencia County);
•	Cedar Creek MDWCA (Lincoln County);
•	Doña Ana MDWCA (Doña Ana County (2 projects);
•	Lumberton MDWCA (Rio Arriba County);
•	Lybrook MDWCA (Rio Arriba County);
•	Nogal MDWCA (Lincoln County);
•	Pendaries Village MDWCA (San Miguel County);
•	Quemado Lake Water Association (Catron County);
•	Regina MDWCA (Sandoval County); 
•	Rio Embudo MDWCA (Rio Arriba County);
•	Rio Lucio MDWCA (Taos County);
•	Rosedale MDWCA (Grant County); 
•	San Luis Cabezon MDWCA (Sandoval County) (2 projects);
•	Sile MDWCA (Sandoval County);
•	Sky Country Estates MDWCA (Otero County);
•	Storrie Project Water Users Association (San Miguel County);.

Flood Prevention Projects
•	Cibola County
•	Doña Ana County;
•	Luna County;
•	McKinley County;
•	City of Albuquerque (Bernalillo County)
•	City of Deming (Luna County)
•	City of Sunland Park (Dona Ana County) (2 projects);
•	City of Truth or Consequences (Sierra County);
•	Village of Columbus (Luna County);
•	Village of Ruidoso (Lincoln County);
•	Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority (Sandoval County);
•	Upper Rio Grande Watershed District (Rio Arriba County).

Watershed Restoration and Management Projects
•	Colfax Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) (Colfax County);
•	San Juan SWCD (San Juan County);
•	Ute Creek SWCD (Harding County)

Water Conservation, Treatment, Recycling or Reuse Projects
•	Isleta Pueblo (Bernalillo County)
•	City of Alamogordo (Otero County)
•	City of Deming (Luna County)
•	Village of Los Ranchos (Bernalillo County);
•	Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (Bernalillo County);

HB 206 declares an emergency.
The New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee endorses this bill.


 

Current Law:

 Background/Legal Pursuant to the Water Project Finance Act (Section 72-4A-1 et seq NMSA 1978), NMFA provides administrative support to the sixteen-member Water Trust Board and manages the Water Project Fund on its behalf.  NMFA makes loans and grants for projects recommended by the Water Trust Board and authorized by the legislature including water conservation or recycling, treatment or water reuse projects; flood prevention projects; Endangered Species Act (ESA) collaborative projects; water storage, conveyance or delivery projects; and/or watershed restoration and management projects. The Water Project Fund annually receives nine percent of Senior Severance Tax Bond (“STB”) proceeds as well as a distribution from the Water Trust Fund. Water Trust Board awards are a combination of grants and loans, based upon the financial capacity of the applicants.