Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm just curious, because when we broke off the Early Childhood, ECECD department, when it transferred
• The administrative cost of the ECECD department is significantly bigger.
• And I'm just curious because when we broke off the Early Childhood, ECECD department, when it transferred
• The administrative cost of the ECECD department is significantly bigger.

Summary: The committee first recognized Mark Roper of the Economic Development Department for his long service and retirement, with members and the secretary praising his work on economic development across the state. Secretary Rob Black then presented EDD’s budget and special appropriation requests, describing strong recent job and income growth and outlining the department’s strategy around science and technology, site readiness, workforce development, foreign direct investment, and rural/community programs. He highlighted wins in advanced energy, quantum, space and defense, and biosciences, and asked for funding for quantum/DARPA matching funds, additional site readiness work, LIDA closing funds, JTIP training support, New Mexico Partnership, and healthy foods and other community programs. Members asked detailed questions about the quantum proposal, site readiness, the new mapping tool for industrial sites, workforce participation, trade missions, foreign investment, tariffs, water and produced water, tribal site evaluation, and public engagement on major projects. Black said the quantum request was intended to match federal dollars and build a workforce pipeline, that the site-readiness software would be a set enterprise license, and that the department was working with tribes and local partners on future site evaluations. He also said tariffs have created uncertainty but New Mexico’s infrastructure and foreign trade zones could help attract manufacturing, and he acknowledged concerns about transparency and community input while noting that some projects, such as Pacific Fusion, had gone through extensive public processes. The committee also discussed specific projects and funding balances, including Mantis Space’s move to Albuquerque, the status of Virgin Galactic’s spaceport lease, and the current LIDA fund balance and encumbrances. Black and Deputy Secretary Isaac Romero said the department was trying to use State Investment Council-backed venture funds to attract companies and that the new investments were already producing deals and jobs. Members generally supported the department’s direction but pressed for more targeted expertise, faster deployment, and stronger community involvement in future economic development decisions. Later, Secretary de Blassie of the Department of Health presented the department’s budget request and progress report. He said DOH had improved revenue cycle management, reduced old Medicaid-pending cases, increased census at facilities, improved budget and contract timeliness, and responded effectively to the measles outbreak. The department requested additional base funding for epidemiology and response, the DOH helpline, the Vital Records Virtual Vault, state labs, and the veterans home, along with special requests for respiratory vaccinations and marketing and lab equipment replacement. He also noted progress on MOUD and the medical psilocybin program, and said the department was not seeking to launch new programs given the limited time left in the administration.

Transcript Highlights:

• The LESC is both about investigation as well as lifting up successes, and I think ECECD and higher ed

Transcript Highlights:

• have a touch in this child's life: Medicaid, Health Care Authority, Behavioral Health, CYFD, DOH, ECECD
• We work for children with ECECD, public education, Department of Health, CYFD.

Transcript Highlights:

• the way, you know, maybe it's our act always says, I'm using my area of expertise, you know, giving ECECD
• Like, why are we constantly giving that authority to ECECD too?

Keywords: 996, all

Summary: During the legislative meeting, House Bill 287 was discussed, which proposes the establishment of a permanent Health and Human Services Committee to oversee the state's $14.4 billion expenditure in this area. An amendment to the bill was adopted, which clarified funding and operational details. Public comments were solicited, but no one spoke in opposition. The committee ultimately voted, with some members expressing concerns about budget implications, but the motion to pass the bill as amended was made and seconded, with several members opposing it. House Bill 371 was also addressed, which focuses on creating an Acequia Infrastructure Fund to support land grant and Acequia communities. The bill aims to provide a financial mechanism for these communities to access funds for infrastructure projects without relying on capital outlay requests. The committee discussed the bill's implications, potential funding sources, and the need for further amendments regarding representation and oversight. A motion to pass the bill was made, with some opposition noted, particularly regarding the lack of specificity in the bill's provisions. Lastly, Senate Bill 143 was presented, which seeks to raise the caps on inspection fees under the Egg Grading Act, among other agricultural regulations. Supportive testimony was provided by representatives from agricultural organizations, emphasizing the need for updated fee structures. The committee engaged in discussions about the bill's implications for consumers and the agricultural sector, ultimately moving towards a vote to pass the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Does ECECD enforce these rules? Madam Chair and Representative Matthews.
• And Madam Chair, Representative, if you violate them as an employer, The ECECD rules, what can you, what

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2005, we got the HED, and later came the ECECD.
• The strategic collaboration and longitudinal data sharing between NMPED, ECECD, and HED may be interrupted

Transcript Highlights:

• The wage career 334, the ECECD. One, three, three, thirty-four.
• Okay, the ECECD wage scale and career lattice. Okay, yes. Mr.
• We're still in flux with the ECECD, so that's why we're seeing this. Perfect. Thank you.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I guess it makes me a little nervous, having come from the ECECD world, and what it means when ECECD
• that I think is extremely important, and several of our members have asked about, is these changes at ECECD

Transcript Highlights:

• So I serve for ECECD as Assistant Cabinet Secretary, and prior to my work with the state of New Mexico

Bills: SB201, SB226, SB242, SB249

Keywords: rural libraries, education, cultural funding, library services, community resources, contaminated sites, environmental cleanup, uranium mining, state funding, abandoned sites, tribal affairs, Indian Child Welfare Act, appropriation, children, youth, compliance, field liaison, Indigenous rights, missing persons, law enforcement

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we've also had some preliminary discussions with ALTSD and ECECD about doing some master planning

Transcript Highlights:

• Lujan Grisham, we have more than tripled the investment in early childhood spending, and with the ECECD

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And as ECECD stated, they can already choose to share this information. But CYFD does not.
• And as ECECD stated, they can already choose to share this information. But CYFD does not.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, Senator González, We actually had the Cabinet Secretary of ECECD present to LAC last week
• capacity using state dollars to potentially move some Ability for a Head Start into one of the other ECECD

Transcript Highlights:

• I worked for the LFC, LASC, PED, ECECD, and now the Office of the State Auditor for the last year and

Transcript Highlights:

• I meet and speak with Secretary DeBlasi, Secretary Armijo, and Secretary Gorginsky with ECECD.
• I mean, even ECECD, right, has families that they can demonstrate to us.

Bills: SB48, SB64, SB100

Keywords: State Fairgrounds District, fairgrounds bonds, public financing, bond authorization, gross receipts tax, gaming tax, tax-backed bonds, infrastructure funding, Albuquerque fairgrounds, State Fair Tid, economic development, municipal bonds, revenue pledge, capital projects, New Mexico finance, special education, office of special education, deputy secretary, public education department, IEP

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think you guys really need to meet with the ECECD Secretary because there are perceived barriers
• We have contacted ECECD.

Bills: SB37, SB29

Keywords: high-quality literacy instruction, science of reading, structured literacy, reading instruction, literacy assessment, dyslexia screening, phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, biliteracy, English language learner, ELL, bilingual education, dual language program, reading intervention, reading difficulty, reading improvement plan, literacy coach

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I know the old PRC office, I believe, is occupied by ECECD, for example, and that's in close

Transcript Highlights:

• question is when we talk about the total benefits package and the investment in the state through ECECD
• are on these assistance programs, have part-time one and part-time two contracts with CYFD or with ECECD

Transcript Highlights:

• In the PED background check process, do—at one point, CYFD does an internal and ECECD does an internal
• violence, crimes against a child, whatever, that person is denied the ability to work within CYFD or ECECD

Transcript Highlights:

• ECECD and the Office of Special Education partner daily to make sure that the requirements of preschool

Bills: SB64, SB19, SB44, SB83

Keywords: special education, office of special education, deputy secretary, public education department, IEP, individualized education program, students with disabilities, IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, dyslexia, dyslexia screening, structured literacy, reading intervention, multilayered system of supports, MTSS, student assistance team, free appropriate public education, FAPE, special education compliance, charter schools