LAND GRANT-MERCED & ACEQUIA INFRASTRUCTURE

SB 374 creates the Land Grant-Merced and Acequia Infrastructure Act to provide funding for critical infrastructure projects in New Mexico. It establishes a trust fund that distributes annual money to two dedicated project funds: one for land grant-merced communities (designated political subdivisions under state law) and another for acequias (community irrigation systems organized as political subdivisions). The funds support specific infrastructure like water/wastewater systems, roads, health facilities, irrigation repairs, flood protection, and engineering studies. The bill directs the council (for land grants) and commission (for acequias) to approve project applications and terms, with funding coming from trust fund distributions. The bill passed committee but was postponed indefinitely on June 3, 2025.