Governor signs House Bill 1 – Legislation provides $100 million for fire and flood recovery

SANTA FE - Today, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 1, appropriating $100 million to support recovery efforts following the South Fork and Salt fires, as well as ongoing flooding.

"The legislature's failure to prioritize public safety for New Mexicans during the special session is deeply disappointing," said Gov. Lujan Grisham. "However, I am relieved that we managed to secure aid for critical recovery efforts in communities damaged by fire and flooding."

The $100 million in funding will be allocated as follows:

• $10 million for the Mescalero Apache Tribal government to utilize for damages or losses.
• $10 million for the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department to utilize for damages from fires, flooding and debris flow, and for mitigation efforts in the impacted areas.
• $10 million for the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to assist residents as they apply for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and submit insurance claims.
• $70 million for zero-interest reimbursable loans to local governments to kick-start funding for public infrastructure projects that have been approved for federal public assistance.

Line-Item Vetoes: In signing House Bill 1, the Governor exercised her line-item veto authority to remove certain provisions:

• On page 4, line 1, from the second instance of the word "the" through the end of the line, and on line 2, the words "division of."
• On page 4, line 9, the words "division shall require a," and on page 4, line 11, the first instance of the word "that."

These vetoes eliminate the role of the state Board of Finance in administering the $70 million loan program and assigns this responsibility to the Local Government Division of the Department of Finance and Administration. The Local Government Division has successfully managed similar loan programs and is better positioned to expeditiously administer such a large loan program.

Individuals in Lincoln County--including the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Otero County, San Juan County, and Rio Arriba County--affected by the South Fork and Salt fires or flooding can apply for assistance from FEMA in the following ways:

• Visit a Disaster Resource and Recovery Center Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the following locations:
• • Angus Church of the Nazarene, 103 Bonita Park Rd., Angus, N.M.
  • Horton Complex, 237 Service Road, Ruidoso, N.M.
  • Mescalero Apache School, 249 White Mountain Dr., Mescalero, N.M.
  • San Juan County Fire and Rescue, Aztec Fire Station, 209 S. Oliver, Aztec, N.M.
  • Senior Citizens Center, 214 County Road 142, Medanales, N.M.
• Apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Call the FEMA application phone number at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585). Calls are accepted every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mountain time. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service.