Plenty of bills would have improved public health

There is no question it is difficult to follow bills and bill action in the Legislature. For frequent users, the Secretary of State website (nmlegis.gov) is very friendly and does a timely job of updating bill status throughout the session. For first-time users it is easy to learn.

According to the Legislative Council librarian, there have been 685 bills, 35 resolutions, and 76 memorials filed this session. Many died an early death and others are moving slowly. It’s a lot to navigate. 

News reports generally focus on high profile legislation. Gun bills related to safety and possession are taking up a lot of the oxygen this session. Outlawing necrophilia (HB 70) got an early mention, pushing people to look up the definition. Paid family medical leave is moving to final votes in both chambers.

In addition to following individual legislation, I am interested in how bills relate to or complement each other. That can present a more arduous task because of bill titles. 

This year I was searching for bills that would improve public health. As I proceeded to search, it became obvious to me that bills to improve health outcomes are lurking in various places.

There are some strong bills focused on access to health care. Sen. Liz Stefanics, D-Cerrillos, is the sponsor of SB 17 providing emergency funding for rural hospitals. Sen. Pete Campos, D-Las Vegas, has introduced SB 268, the Healthcare Facility Viability Fund. Campos’ bill would establish a $70 million fund to provide grants to healthcare providers who serve underserved areas. Both of these bills would, if passed, improve public health access and care in rural areas

Other notable bills introduced raise Medicaid payments to providers and help build the health care work force especially in rural areas.

Then there are other bills I referred to earlier – lurking – the more unsuspecting ones.

First, HB 41, the clean fuel standards bill, incentivizes companies to produce cleaner transportation fuels. If well utilized, this bill will decrease harmful transportation-related emissions and improve air quality. Clean air equals better public health, easier breathing. 

Then there are tax credit bills to improve air quality. SB 315 creates a clean car income tax credit encouraging purchasing or leasing of electric vehicles between the time the bill takes effect until 2030. 

There is a similar tax credit bill for business, SB 316. This bill creates the advanced energy equipment tax credit. Manufacturers and corporations will be eligible after certification for a tax credit when they purchase energy-efficient, emission-reducing equipment.

Both SB 315 and 316 are moving slowly and may die in this session.

The Public Health and Climate Change Resiliency bill (HB 104) would help advance our knowledge of how to respond to extreme weather, wildfires, and other climate crisis threats. The intent is to build a program in the health department to build capacity, understanding, and implement response systems. It is currently stalled in the House. 

Bringing up the rear is a bill deemed non-germane for the 30-day session although it would have an impact on health. HB 75, the electric school bus bill, won’t be heard this session. The legislation proposed a plan to retire diesel buses in favor of electric buses by providing state funds to match federal funds for the program. The result: clean, quiet school buses traveling through our streets. Cleaner air.  It’s a small step with substantial impact. For kids’ sake, I hope sponsors try again.

These are likely just a portion of bills that would improve public health. Better facilities, more access, incentives to improve air quality, building expertise – it’s a joint effort to improve public health.