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NMHPCA works to help link health professionals in climate change advocacy to tools and resources.
Advocacy & Policy Workgroup
Co-Leads: Drs. Paul Charlton & Kristin Graziano
Are you interested in learning more about the role policy and advocacy plays in shaping climate health?
Are you looking to connect with other healh professionals througout the state?
JOIN US
Every 4th Tuesday of the Month at 4 pm MST on Zoom
Next Meeting: May 28, 2024
2024 Legislative Updates
FACT SHEET and Summary: Creates a statewide Public Health and Climate Program at the Department of Health to build capacity and expertise, support the development and implementation of response systems, and improve interagency collaboration. It also establishes a $10 million Public Health and Climate Resiliency Fund to assist and enable local and tribal communities to adapt to climate change and respond to public health emergencies from extreme weather events.
Status: On January 27, 2024, the Health & Human Services Committee voted 8-2 to DO PASS and referred the bill to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.
CALL TO ACTION: Contact the House Appropriations and Finance Committee and urge them to pass HB104.
Nathan P. Small. nathan.small@nmlegis.gov
Meredith A. Dixon. meredith.dixon@nmlegis.gov
Gail Armstrong gail@gailfornewmexico.com
Anthony Allison anthony.allison@nmlegis.gov
Brian G. Baca brian.baca@nmlegis.gov
Cathrynn N. Brown c.brown.nm55@gmail.com
Jack Chatfield. jack.chatfield@nmlegis.gov
Art De La Cruz. art.delacruz@nmlegis.gov
Natalie Figueroa natalie.figueroa@nmlegis.gov
Harry Garcia hgarciad69@gmail.com
Joy Garratt joy.garratt@nmlegis.gov
Pamelya Herndon pamelya.herndon@nmlegis.gov
Tara Jaramillo Tara.Jaramillo@nmlegis.gov
Tara L. Lujan tara.lujan@nmlegis.gov
Rod Montoya roddmontoya@gmail.com
Randall T. Pettigrew randall.pettigrew@nmlegis.gov
Joseph Sanchez Joseph.Sanchez@nmlegis.gov
Debra M. Sariñana debbie.sarinana@nmlegis.gov
HB 133 Oil and Gas Act Changes
Sponsors:
Rep. K. Ortez
Rep. M. McQueen
Fact Sheet and Summary: The bill now has a series of extremely important reforms: increasing the blanket bond (insurance) that producers buy for clean up if they go out of business from $250k to $10M, increasing fees, increasing fines and caps on them, and fixing rules about what happens when wells are transferred. Unfortunately, the setbacks from homes, schools, and other occupied buildings were removed following aggressive lobbying by oil and gas.
Status: the House Energy Environment and Natural Resources Committee (HENRC) voted 6-5 for a substituted HB 133 to pass that did not include setbacks. The substitute HB 133 is now in the House Judiciary Committee.
CALL TO ACTION: Contact the House Judiciary Committee and urge them to pass HB 133.
Christine Chandler christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov
Andrea Romero andrea@andrearomero.com
William "Bill" R. Rehm bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov
Eliseo Lee Alcon Text or call (505) 906-9411
Gail Chasey gail@gailchasey.com
Jared Hembree jared.hembree@nmlegis.gov
T. Ryan Lane RYAN@LANEFORLIBERTY.COM
Javier Martínez javier.martinez@nmlegis.gov
Matthew McQueen matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov
HB41 Clean Transportation Fuel Standards
Sponsors:
Rep. K. Ortez
Rep. C. Chandler
Sen. M. Stewart
Rep. R. Lara
Fact sheet and summary: This would create incentives to drive transportation electrification.
In November, the State adopted requirements for auto dealers to bring more electric vehicles (EVs) to New Mexico--clean vehicles that save owners money at the pump and in maintenance. Entities can earn credits by decarbonizing transportation fuels, including through electrification. If a utility participates in this program, the funds they earn must be spent on further transportation decarbonization. The bill requires that half of those funds be allocated to overburdened communities. Clean Fuels builds on Clean Cars and Trucks rules that will bring more EVs to the states and incentivize utilities, municipalities, tribes, and others to electrify transportation further and, in doing so, earn income that has to be used to further decarbonize transportation.
Status: On January 24, the House Judiciary voted 7-4 to pass a substitute for HB 41. HB 41 is currently on the House Calendar.
Fact Sheet and Summary: Create a $100 million fund at the New Mexico Finance Authority to issue both planning and implementation grants to Tribes, Counties, municipalities, and school districts for solar and storage projects to power public buildings like community centers, libraries, schools, and fire stations, and infrastructure like water, wastewater, and street lighting.
Planning includes grant writers and technical expertise to plan and fund projects, and implementation includes funding construction, purchase, installation, and equipment of solar energy and storage systems.
Status: Passed HENRC 6-3 on Jan. 23rd. and was referred to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.
HB 140 Clean Car Income Tax Credit
Sponsors:
Rep. D. Hochman-Vigil
Rep. Y. Gurrola
Status: The Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee voted to pass HB 140 6-3 on January 23. HB 140 was reffered to the Taxation and Revenue Committee
ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUS ACT was ruled not germane by both chambers.
Advocates are working to get $400,000 into HB2, the legislative budget, to fund the NMSU bus yard electric infrastructure.
CALL TO ACTION: Please email Rep. Nathan Small with this message: "Please include in HB2 an appropriation of $400,000 for an electric infrastructure study by NMSU's College of Engineering to assess the needs of school districts for the possible use of Zero Emission and Electric School Buses in their fleets."
Rep. Nathan P. Small, nathan.small@nmlegis.gov and nathanpsmall36@gmail.com
With this link, you can email all of the members of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/hb-2-electric-school-bus-funding.
Past Advocacy
Advanced Clean Cars and Advanced Clean Trucks Rules
NMHPCA is strongly supporting NMED and our Governor’s effort to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector. These rules will improve health and reduce carbon emissions, ensuring that New Mexicans have access to zero-emission vehicles. Gas-powered cars are a major source of air pollution, which can cause respiratory problems, heart disease and cancer. These rules will protect the health of New Mexicans, especially children and those who live close to major highways and truck routes. We are proud that NMHPCA Chair, Dr. Paul Charlton, submitted written testimony for the EIB hearing highlighting the health benefits of adopting these rules.
Public Health and Climate Resiliency Act
Support the Public Health and Climate Resiliency Act. Read the Fact Sheet.
Sign up to express your support for this legislation.
NMHPCA continues to advocate for the establishment of a robust Climate and Health Program along with a $10 million Community Resiliency Fund to support adaptation planning and implementation for the most vulnerable NM communities. We are working closely with the NM Environmental Public Health Network, a project of NM Voices for Children, and other partnering organizations to strengthen our proposal for this year’s legislative session. Watch for more information about how you can help our state address the health impacts of climate change with a commitment to data-driven action, community engagement and equity.
U.S. Call to Action on Climate Health and Equity: 10 Policy Priorities
This site lists several easy advocacy actions for you to take! View current and previous Call to Actions here. | View the Policy Action Agenda here.
The National Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Public Health Association are among the more than 180 health organizations calling on policymakers at all levels of government, and leaders in business and civil society to face the climate-health emergency head on and take actions outlined in The Call to Action on Climate Health and Equity. The agenda calls out 10 specific policy priorities, including the following:
1. Meeting and strengthening greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments and supporting the Paris Agreement.
2. Transitioning rapidly away from the use of coal, oil and natural gas to clean, safe, and renewable energy and energy efficiency.
3. Emphasizing active transportation in the transition to zero-carbon transportation systems.
4. Promoting healthy, sustainable and resilient farms and food systems, forests, and natural lands.
5. Ensuring that all U.S. residents have access to safe and affordable drinking water and a sustainable water supply.
6. Investing in policies that support a just transition for workers and communities adversely impacted by climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
7. Engaging the health sector voice in the call for climate action.
8. Incorporating climate solutions into all health care and public health systems.
9. Building resilient communities in the face of climate change.
10. Investing in climate in a way that benefits health, and health in a way that doesn’t harm the climate.
Medical Society Consortium on Climate Health
Write a letter asking your healthcare institution to sign the HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge. In March, HHS announced that the Health Sector Climate Pledge will be accepting new signatories on an ongoing basis. To move additional health sector organizations toward signing, we are asking you to write to your health care system CEOs or other executive leaders within your institutions asking them to join the pledge. Health Care Without Harm and the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health have drafted two letters, one from an individual and onefor a group sign-in, and are providing guidance for outreach opportunities.