LAND GRANT-MERCED ACEQUIA INFRASTRUCTURE ACT

HB 21 creates the Land Grant-Merced and Acequia Infrastructure Act, establishing two dedicated funds to provide infrastructure assistance to specific communities. It directly affects land grant-merced communities (designated political subdivisions under New Mexico law) and acequias (community irrigation systems organized as political subdivisions), enabling them to access grants for projects like water systems, roads, health facilities, and flood protection. The bill sets up a trust fund that distributes annual allocations to two project funds - administered by a council for land grants and a commission for acequias - based on trust fund balances. These funds will support planning, construction, and equipment for qualified infrastructure projects through established application and evaluation processes.