SENATE BILL 262

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2025

INTRODUCED BY

Pete Campos

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

MAKING APPROPRIATIONS TO THE STATE PARKS DIVISION OF THE ENERGY, MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH FOR PROGRAM COORDINATORS TO OVERSEE CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECTS; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO TO OVERSEE THE PROGRAM COORDINATORS AND CREATE AND MAINTAIN WEB PORTALS AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO TRACK AND EVALUATE THE CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECTS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. APPROPRIATIONS.--

          A. One hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars ($137,500) is appropriated from the general fund to each of the following agencies for expenditure in fiscal year 2026 and subsequent fiscal years to contract for services for a program coordinator to oversee citizen science projects in which members of the public volunteer to assist in conducting scientific research and collecting data on wildlife. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund:

                (1) the state parks division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department;

                (2) the department of environment; and

                (3) the department of game and fish.

          B. Two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the board of regents of the university of New Mexico for expenditure in fiscal year 2026 and subsequent fiscal years for natural heritage New Mexico, a program within the museum of southwestern biology and the biology department of the university, to contract for services to oversee citizen science project program coordinators and create and maintain web portals and information systems to track and evaluate the citizen science projects described in Subsection A of this section. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund.

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