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State lawmakers pass crime, behavioral-health and water bills; Sandoval delegation secures local capital outlay
Summary
New Mexico Representative Kathleen Cates and county lobbyist Lawrence Horan briefed the Sandoval County Commission on 2025 legislation that county officials say will affect public safety, behavioral-health funding, water regulation and capital projects in the county.
Representative Kathleen Cates, D-District 44, and lobbyist Lawrence Horan told the Sandoval County Board of County Commissioners on May 14 that the 2025 legislative session produced an omnibus crime package, major behavioral-health investments, changes to water regulation and a mix of capital outlay and program funding with direct relevance to the county.
Cates said an omnibus public-safety bill, described in the meeting as HB 8, rolled together six measures that increase criminal penalties in several areas and added state options for offenses that federal authorities do not pursue. "Our big lift for the first 30 days was HB 8 and also the Senate 3 bill behavioral health packages," Cates said, adding the package included changes such as defining competency and expanding restoration-to-competency mechanisms for people found unable to stand trial.
The congressionally recognized behavioral-health legislation was described by Cates as having "an unprecedented amount of funding" to implement programs requested…
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