New Mexico Senate Bill SB193

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/30/26
• Report Pass: 2/2/26
• Report Pass: 2/5/26
• Report Pass: 2/9/26
• Engrossed: 2/10/26
• Report Pass: 2/12/26
• Enrolled: 2/16/26
• Chaptered: 3/9/26
• Passed: 3/9/26

Caption

ACEQUIA & DITCH INFRASTRUCTURE FUND TRANSFER

Summary

SB193 amends the statute governing the New Mexico irrigation works construction fund to increase the annual transfer from that fund to the acequia and community ditch infrastructure fund to $5 million. The bill leaves in place the existing $1 million annual transfer to the forest land protection revolving fund and does not otherwise change the basic structure or purposes of the irrigation works construction fund. It also retains the commission’s authority to use the fund for irrigation project investigations and construction, subject to existing reimbursement and approval requirements. The bill’s practical effect is to direct more state irrigation-related funding toward acequia and community ditch infrastructure beginning July 1, 2026. Acequias and community ditches are traditional irrigation systems that support agricultural water delivery in many parts of New Mexico, so the measure is aimed at infrastructure maintenance and improvement for those systems. Because the transfer is set by statute, the bill changes state law by increasing the amount that must be moved annually from one dedicated fund to another. The general sentiment around the bill appears strongly supportive. In committee, the New Mexico Acequia Association testified in favor of SB193, and a farmer from the upper Rio Grande also spoke in support. The bill advanced through both chambers with substantial margins, including unanimous House final passage and a clear Senate majority, indicating broad legislative agreement on the need for the funding increase. There is little evidence of major opposition in the available discussion or vote history. The main policy focus is on whether the irrigation works construction fund should transfer more money to acequia and community ditch infrastructure, and the recorded testimony suggests supporters view the increase as necessary for water system upkeep and agricultural resilience. Any contention appears limited, with no specific objections captured in the provided materials.

Impact

SB193 amends Section 72-14-23 NMSA 1978 to raise the required annual transfer from the New Mexico irrigation works construction fund to the acequia and community ditch infrastructure fund from the prior amount to $5 million. It preserves the separate $1 million annual transfer to the forest land protection revolving fund and leaves the rest of the irrigation works construction fund framework intact. The bill affects state fund allocations and benefits acequia associations, community ditch systems, and related irrigation infrastructure projects, with an effective date of July 1, 2026.

Sentiment

The bill was received positively in the available committee discussion and voting history. Testimony from the New Mexico Acequia Association and a farmer supported the measure, and it moved through the Senate and House with strong margins, including unanimous House final passage. The overall tone suggests broad bipartisan or near-unanimous recognition of the importance of acequia and ditch infrastructure funding.

Contention

No significant opposition is reflected in the provided transcripts or vote totals. The only discernible policy question is the size of the annual transfer from the irrigation works construction fund, with supporters arguing for increased investment in acequia and community ditch infrastructure. The absence of recorded dissent in committee and the strong floor votes suggest that any disagreement was limited or not captured in the available materials.