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Senate Finance committee advances SB83 to boost agency capacity for climate, with appropriation removed
Summary
Senate Bill 83, which would create a flexible, nonreverting Innovation and State Government Fund for agencies to plan and staff climate and clean-energy work, advanced from Senate Finance after testimony from the governor’s office, tribal and clean-energy advocates and a committee amendment that removes the appropriation.
Senate Bill 83 — the Innovation and State Government Fund — received a committee hearing and a due-pass recommendation after discussion among senators, agency staff and multiple testimony from climate and workforce advocates.
The bill would establish a nonreverting fund to provide short-term, flexible funding to state agencies for planning, master plans and staffing to implement climate and clean-energy policy. The sponsor described the measure as focused on building agency capacity, including the option to fund FTEs where agencies requested them in fiscal impact reports.
Why it matters: supporters told the committee that agencies lack consistent, flexible funding to hire staff and develop plans needed to pursue federal and private clean-energy dollars and to implement the governor’s climate executive orders.
Public testimony in support included Travis Kellerman, center climate advisor in the governor’s office, who said the fund would accelerate net-zero planning and help unlock private and federal investment. “This agency support allows us to take on bold new climate action and really look at what the new economy brings New Mexico,” Kellerman told the committee.
Taryn Villa of New Mexico Native Vote and Anna Linden Weller of Western Resource Advocates also urged support; Weller said the fund is rare in offering dedicated and flexible funding for agencies. Multiple local advocates — including workforce and community-energy groups — described implementation delays on existing programs and urged the committee to enable faster agency action.
Sponsor and amendment: the bill sponsor explained that the committee substitute removes the appropriation language from the bill and the last two appropriation sections; the sponsor said the intent was to have the fund concept embedded in the budget process rather than as a standalone appropriation in the statute. The bill text requires recipient agencies to report budgets and use of funds to DFA.
Committee debate included questions about whether the General Services Department (GSD) should be explicitly named as an eligible recipient because GSD manages the state’s roughly 800 buildings and could use funds for energy efficiency projects. Staff said the appropriation language had been struck so that if the committee or appropriators chose, amounts could be specified in House Bill 2 by department.
Vote and next steps: a motion for a due-pass recommendation was made by Senator Gonzales and seconded by Senator Padilla. The roll call produced a due-pass recommendation (6 affirmative, 3 negative). Committee staff and the sponsor said follow-up work on departmental allocations and whether to place some or all of the funding into the executive budget would continue as the bill moves to the next steps of the session.
Ending: supporters framed SB83 as an investment to unlock additional federal and private funds and to create staff capacity; critics asked for clarity on department eligibility and the final appropriation vehicle.
