EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — New Mexico Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, who was serving as acting governor, signed House Bill 1 on Monday, Nov. 10, providing up to $20 million per week to ensure New Mexicans continue receiving food assistance amid ongoing federal uncertainty over SNAP benefits.
“The Trump administration’s chaotic approach to SNAP funding during the shutdown demonstrates exactly why this special session was important,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “We told New Mexicans we would stand up for them, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. New Mexicans won’t go hungry while Republicans in Washington, D.C. manufacture crisis after crisis.”
Lujan Grisham was out of the country, attending the UN Climate Change Conference in Brazil, as part of the official U.S. delegation.
House Bill 1, passed by the Legislature during Monday’s special session, authorizes weekly appropriations of up to $20 million from the general fund operating reserve to provide state nutrition assistance benefits to the approximately 460,000 New Mexicans who rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The legislation provides funding through the week of Jan. 19, ensuring continuity of SNAP benefits only if federal funding fails.
“No New Mexico families will go hungry thanks to the efficient work of our state legislators and the leadership of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham today. I am proud that we came together in the best spirit as New Mexicans to make sure vulnerable families in our state are taken care of. This legislation ensures New Mexicans can feed their families this holiday season,” Morales said.
The bill also includes $100,000 for enhanced security protocols, equipment and infrastructure at the Administrative Office of the Courts and transfers $30 million from the general fund operating reserve to the appropriation contingency fund for future emergencies.
The state administered full federal November SNAP benefits on Nov. 7 to eligible New Mexicans whose issuance date fell between Nov. 1-8, with benefits set to be released for those with funding days that come later in the month.
New Mexico moved forward with the full benefit issuance only after the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated that it would comply with the Nov. 6 District Court of Rhode Island order requiring full November SNAP funding. Then, the Trump administration reversed course, telling states to claw back full funding, imperiling the nation’s most vulnerable families once more.
This second special session builds on actions taken during the Oct. 1 special session, when Lujan Grisham and the Legislature allocated $30 million in emergency state funds to provide food assistance after SNAP benefits were suspended under the government shutdown.
SNAP, established under the Food Stamp Act of 1964, is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, serving approximately 42 million Americans each year. The program also generates economic activity, producing up to $1.80 in local economic benefits for every SNAP dollar spent, the Governor’s Office said.
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