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State Rep. Jennifer Jones outlines 2025 session wins and local capital outlay for Luna County
Summary
Representative Jennifer Jones briefed the county commission on several bills passed this session, including creation of an Office of the Child Advocate (HB5), expansion of the Criminal Competency and Treatment Act (HB8), capital outlay allocations for multiple Luna County projects and the start of a behavioral health trust fund (SB1/SB3).
State Representative Jennifer Jones appeared before the commission to summarize significant bills and funding from the 2025 legislative session and to identify items of interest to Luna County.
Jones, who identified herself as the representative for the district that includes Deming, said the session produced many bills and cited a bipartisan passage of HB 5 creating an Office of the Child Advocate to provide independent oversight of children'serving systems. She described HB 8 (Criminal Competency and Treatment Act) as expanding tools for courts and enabling civil commitment and assisted outpatient treatment in specified circumstances; Jones and commissioners discussed that the bill may take several years to be fully operational depending on regional implementation. Jones also highlighted HB 156 (education salary increases), HB 171 (pharmacy custodial care facilities), HB 47 (veteran property tax exemption finalization) and HB 2 (the appropriations/budget), noting capital outlay funds allocated to local projects including Columbus field improvements, police vehicle/station funding and county road equipment.
On behavioral health, Jones described the new behavioral health trust fund (SB1 and SB3) as a major development that will provide ongoing infrastructure funding for behavioral-health facilities and services once the fund begins distributing earnings; she said mapping and regionalization work will start as funds become available. Jones urged local leaders to work with her office on regional sequencing and implementation.
She encouraged the county to pursue designation under the Trade Ports Development Act (HB 19) and highlighted funding for school defibrillators (HB 54) and teacher salary increases. Jones closed by inviting continued collaboration and noted she and Senator Ramos are available as partners to pursue capital outlay and other priorities for the district.
Representative quote: "For anybody I haven't met here, I'm Jennifer Jones, and I am a proud resident of Deming and also the state representative for your district," Jones said. She summarized priorities and local capital outlay in her remarks to the commission.
