Santa Fe, NM (KKOB) – Since fiscal year 2024, state lawmakers have appropriated $89.5 million for behavioral health rate increases. In 2025, they gave another $565 million for services statewide, and during last year’s legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill allowing the state to map out behavioral health regions based on counties or judicial districts.
After it went into effect, the legislature appropriated more than $24 million to help create more mental health care facilities. During a legislative meeting on Tuesday, experts said they believe that money is helping, but they don’t have the data to prove it. In response the Health Care Authority said the original legislation did not include specific targets or baselines to measure when they reached their goals. Rep.Mark Duncan told the HCA that if the legislature is spending this much money, he expects solid results next time.
