The 2022 session of the New Mexico State Legislature begins Tuesday, Jan. 18 and The University of New Mexico has been hard at work identifying this year’s legislative priorities. The state's abbreviated legislative sessions in even-numbered years typically focus on state finances and a handful of policy initiatives.

When the 30-day session opens, legislators and the executive branch will be wrangling with record-high revenue projections and how best to invest in New Mexico, while ensuring cash reserves are adequate. However much of that available funding is one-time money derived from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, roughly half of which was spent in the December 2021 special session.

How to Track Bills of Interest...

Legislators have been busy filing proposed legislation that will be considered during the 30-day session. It is anticipated to be a busy 30 days. UNM will be tracking a number of bills that will have consequences for the main and branch campuses, HSC, Human Resources, retirement, the budget or higher education in general.

UNM’s Office of Government & Community Relations will keep the campus community apprised of bills of interest to the University on the UNM Bill Tracker. UNM encourages friends, family, neighbors and colleagues to also sign up for updates. The goal is to keep the campus community apprised of the process and provide the info you’ll need to navigate the 2022 legislative session.

The FY23 Executive Budget Recommendation from the administration of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham totals $8.4 billion in recurring spending, a 13.4 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. The executive recommendation will maintain reserves at 36.4 percent, among the highest in the state’s history. Gov. Lujan Grisham has indicated her priorities for the session include education, public safety and economic development.

The FY23 Legislative Budget Recommendation from the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) similarly totals $8.46 billion, or a 14 percent increase over FY22 spending levels. The LFC proposed budget recommendations prioritize public education, health and human services, child welfare, and public safety. Increases for higher education recommended by LFC include a 3 percent increase for Instruction and General (I & G) Funding. One percent of the increase will be temporarily held back as part of an enrollment-related “workload adjustment measure.”

The following gives a brief glimpse of The University of New Mexico’s 2022 legislative priorities.

Instructional & General Funding

  • Provide for 10 percent funding increase to restore FY21 cuts
  • Also provide base adjustment for nationwide inflation now affecting group and liability insurance and additional utility costs

Workforce Pipeline

  • Support expansion of high-impact programs in Pre-K-12 teacher education, nursing and other health professions

Compensation

  • Support additional compensation increase of at least 7 percent for recruitment and retention of quality faculty and staff to protect and enhance state competitiveness within the current U.S. inflationary environment

Lottery Scholarship

  • Support students’ efforts to bring more stability to the Lottery Scholarship Fund

Priority Capital Outlay Projects

General Obligation Bond Requests

  • College of Fine Arts Center for Collaborative Arts & Technology - $65 million
  • Children’s Psychiatric Center - $40 million
  • UNM-Gallup Gurley Hall Student Experience Project - $6 million
  • UNM-Los Alamos Open Space Design and Upgrade - $2.25 million
  • UNM-Taos Fred Peralta Hall - Career Tech Renovation and Addition - $3.9 million
  • UNM-Valencia Learning Resource Center Re-roof and Solar Panel - $900,000

Severance Tax Bond Requests

  • Main Campus Lab Safety Improvements - $4.5 million
  • Main Campus Technology Infrastructure Upgrades - $3.7 million
  • HSC Interprofessional Healthcare Simulation Center (IHSC) Expansion Project - $4 million
  • HSC Shared Research Equipment for HSC Research Centers - $910,000
  • UNM-Los Alamos Campus-wide Infrastructure Renovations - $1.4 million

Research & Public Service Projects

New Program Requests

  • Increase Health Personnel for Underserved Communities - $163,400
  • Communities to Careers for Health Professionals - $300,000
  • Hungry for Success - $184,900
  • Institute for American Indian Education - $251,553
  • Reclaiming Languages - $77,134
  • Preparing High Quality Teachers During COVID-19 and Beyond - $271,353

Expansion Program Requests

  • African American Student Success - $65,000
  • Athletics - $2 million
  • Center for Native American Health - $73,000
  • Chicana & Chicano Studies - $350,000
  • Comprehensive Movement Disorders Center - $485,531
  • Educational Television - $100,000
  • El Centro de la Raza - $398,200
  • Graduate Medical Education - $294,500
  • Building Outstanding STEAM-H Students - $83,200
  • Native American Studies - $67,600
  • NM Poison & Drug Information Center - $305,300
  • NM Office of the Medical Investigator - $1.7 million
  • NM Office of the Medical Investigator Grief Services Program - $64,500
  • Project ECHO - $4 million

For a more detailed list, visit UNM's 2022 Legislative Priorities