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Committee tables HB 58 after sponsors note funding already in budget
Summary
The House Appropriations and Finance Committee tabled House Bill 58, which would appropriate money to the Public Education Department for school mental health training and wellness spaces, after sponsors and supporters said the measure’s funding is already included in the budget.
The House Appropriations and Finance Committee on Monday tabled House Bill 58, a measure to appropriate funds to the Public Education Department for mental health training and wellness spaces in K-12 schools.
Sponsor Representative Herndon told the committee HB 58 “would make an appropriation to the public education department to support mental health training and wellness spaces in kindergarten through the twelfth grade,” and said the bill directs some funds for suicide-prevention training. Supporters that spoke included Edward Webster, government relations director for NEA New Mexico, who said: “We stand in strong support of HB 58.” Gabrielle Dietrich, executive director of NAMI New Mexico, also voiced support, saying the bill would help “normaliz[e] discussions around mental illness” and fight stigma.
The sponsor told the committee there are already 14 mental-health rooms in schools statewide and that last legislative session 41 schools requested the rooms but some requests went unfunded. Committee members asked implementation questions: Representative Pettigrew asked whether non-state-funded school-based clinics could participate; the sponsor replied she did not know. Representative Vincent asked if students without Medicaid could still receive services; the sponsor answered yes.
Chair Small then called for a motion to table, explaining the reason: “the funding is already in the budget.” Representative Little moved to table the bill and Representative Garrett seconded. The motion carried by voice vote with no opposition recorded.
Discussion-only items and clarifying answers from the sponsor — for example, that the rooms are staffed by personnel with backgrounds in psychology or mental health and that the program has equipment intended to help students under stress — remain in the record but the committee took no further action because the appropriation was said to be in the enacted budget.
The committee’s tabling means the bill will not advance from this committee at this time; sponsors and supporters said the work on mental-health rooms will continue using the budgeted funds.
