LAND GRANT & ACEQUIA MUSEUM

HB 268 appropriates $100,000 from the general fund to New Mexico's Cultural Affairs Department for a fiscal year 2027 feasibility study on creating a statewide museum focused on land grants and acequias (traditional water-sharing systems). The study will examine costs and options for locating the museum, including purchasing, leasing, or using land/buildings like the Mercedes Unidas center, or placing it in Santa Fe or Albuquerque. It does not fund the museum itself, only the study to determine if and how such a museum could be created. The bill directs the department to report findings by the end of FY2027, with any unused funds reverting to the general fund.