SB 199 amends New Mexico’s Local DWI Grant Program Act to increase the amount of liquor excise tax revenue that may be used to administer the local DWI grant program. The bill keeps the existing structure of the Local DWI Grant Fund, which supports grants to counties and municipalities for programs aimed at preventing or reducing DWI, alcoholism, alcohol abuse, drug addiction, drug abuse, and related domestic violence. It also preserves funding for drug courts, county DWI program distributions, alcohol detoxification and treatment facilities in specified counties, and the interlock device fund.
The main policy change is a cap increase on administrative spending: no more than $1.1 million of liquor excise tax revenues distributed to the fund in a fiscal year may be used for administration of the grant program. The bill also continues the formula-based county distribution system tied to retail trade gross receipts and alcohol-related injury crashes, and it retains the requirement that counties have approved DWI plans or participate in approved multicounty plans to receive grants. The effective date is July 1, 2025.
Impact
SB 199 amends Sections 11-6A-3 and 11-6A-6 NMSA 1978, which govern the Local DWI Grant Fund and the distribution of county DWI program money. It affects how liquor excise tax revenues are allocated within the fund by adjusting the amount available for administration and preserving the existing appropriations for grants, county distributions, detoxification and treatment facilities, and the interlock device fund. Counties, municipalities, the division administering the program, and the council approving grants remain the primary affected parties.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad legislative support. It passed the Senate 36-1 and the House 62-0, indicating strong bipartisan approval and little opposition. With no committee transcript available, the voting record is the main indicator of sentiment, and it suggests the measure was viewed favorably as an administrative adjustment rather than a major policy overhaul.
Contention
There is little visible contention in the available record. The only recorded opposition was one dissenting Senate vote, and the House passed the bill unanimously. Any disagreement likely centered on the allocation of liquor excise tax revenues and whether the administrative cap should be increased, but the bill’s preservation of existing program funding and county distribution formulas suggests the changes were relatively narrow and technical.