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Committee adopts substitute to separate wildfire suppression and post-wildfire funds; committee recommends do-pass on substitute
Summary
A committee substitute for House Bill 191 was adopted that creates a clearer separation between suppression (pre-event suppression resources) and post-wildfire recovery funds, renaming a preparedness fund to a post-wildfire fund and tightening definitions for oversight and transparency.
The House Appropriations and Finance Committee adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 191 that clarifies definitions and creates two complementary funding streams: a stable wildfire suppression fund and a renamed post-wildfire fund for recovery and post-incident work.
Sponsors and the state forester said the substitute refines statutory language to distinguish suppression activities (resourcing, staging and deploying firefighting personnel and equipment) from post-wildfire activities (recovery, infrastructure repairs and remediation). The substitute also calls for more transparent reporting on fund balances, reimbursements and anticipated needs, and preserves legislative oversight while allowing executive agencies to deploy resources more quickly.
Representative Vincent and others described the need for a stable suppression fund to ensure readiness during an active fire season; Forester McCarthy (state forester) and agency staff participated in drafting the substitute and answered technical questions about reimbursement and FEMA eligibility. Witnesses noted that not all fires or damage are FEMA-eligible, and the post-wildfire fund could be used for timely repairs and recovery where federal reimbursement is not available.
Public comment included support from PNM (Sharron Hornhorse) and other stakeholders. Representative Vincent moved that the committee sub do pass; the committee approved the substitute and recommended do-pass for the committee substitute.
Why it matters: Sponsors said the change will improve transparency and create a stable, legislatively governed funding stream for wildfire suppression while preserving a separate fund for post-fire response and recovery. That separation is intended to speed response, clarify reimbursements and reduce delays for non-FEMA-eligible work.
