SENATE BILL 26

56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2024

INTRODUCED BY

Crystal Diamond Brantley and Pat Woods and Siah Correa Hemphill

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY FOR THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'S EXISTING LIVESTOCK MEXICAN WOLF COMPENSATION PROGRAM.

 

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

     SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION.--

          A. Nine million dollars ($9,000,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the board of regents of New Mexico state university for expenditure in fiscal years 2025 through 2027 for the New Mexico department of agriculture to implement its existing livestock Mexican wolf compensation program contract with the county livestock loss authority established by Catron county, Sierra county and Socorro county; provided that:

                (1) the board of regents shall first use any federal funds that are available to implement the contract prior to expending money from this appropriation;

                (2) a compensation payment pursuant to the contract shall be based on a determination of a confirmed or probable livestock loss due to Mexican wolves in a report from the United States department of agriculture's animal and plant health inspection service wildlife services investigator, the United States fish and wildlife service field team or a county or tribal investigator qualified in wildlife predator investigations;

                (3) compensation for a livestock loss pursuant to the contract shall be based on the fair market value of the livestock as determined quarterly by New Mexico state university;

                (4) the quarterly determination of fair market value shall be published on a separate and distinct web page on the New Mexico department of agriculture's website prior to distribution of a compensation payment during the quarter that fair market value is in effect; and

                (5) the county livestock loss authority or the New Mexico department of agriculture maintains a publicly accessible case file for each compensation payment made pursuant to the contract that includes:

                     (a) the application from the livestock owner;

                     (b) the required report pursuant to Paragraph (2) of this subsection; and

                     (c) the amount of the compensation payment made pursuant to the application and applicable report.

          B. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2027 shall revert to the general fund.

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