Luján Secures Over $12 Million for New Mexico Projects in Committee-Passed Appropriations Bill

Total Investments for FY26 is $300,585,000

Investments Include Workforce Development, Health Care, and Education

Santa Fe, N.M. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) announced over $12 million in federal funding secured for New Mexico through the Appropriations Committee’s bipartisan passage of Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. These investments will strengthen New Mexico’s workforce, improve access to health care, and expand education opportunities across the state.

As part of the Committee-passed bill, Senator Luján secured $12,062,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for community projects that support behavioral health, job training, STEM and STEAM education, and youth development. Earlier this month, Senator Luján announced nearly $190 million in federal investments passed by the full U.S. Senate.

“These investments reflect the priorities and values of New Mexicans – expanding health care, investing in the workforce, and giving every child and family a chance to succeed,” said Senator Luján. “From behavioral health support to cutting-edge education and workforce training, this funding will make a meaningful difference for the future of our state. I’ll keep fighting to get these critical investments across the finish line and to bring more federal funding home to New Mexico.”

The Committee process is the first step, and the appropriations bills will next be considered by the full U.S. Senate.

Senator Luján Secured Over $12 Million for the Following Local Projects:

Health Care and Behavioral Health:

• $516,000 for Amador Health’s project to expand access to behavioral health services in Doña Ana County.
• $1,540,000 for the University of New Mexico’s Project ECHO, a rural health telemonitoring training program.
• $500,000 for the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 244 to provide behavioral health services to first responders.
• $750,000 for Gallup Community Health to provide comprehensive, community-based health care to McKinley County. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich.
• $1,484,000 for the University of New Mexico to provide services to individuals and their families experiencing overdose or other substance use crises. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich. 
• $1,135,000 for the City of Albuquerque’s comprehensive behavioral health and substance use disorder center for individuals experiencing homelessness. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich. 

Education and Workforce Training:

• $1,000,000 for San Juan College to train students to earn their Class A commercial driver’s license.
• $798,000 for the University of New Mexico to train individuals in data science and language acquisition research in rural and Tribal communities.
• $40,000 for Northern New Mexico College to train future health care professionals in the Española area.

• $762,000 for New Mexico State University for professional development and curriculum building surrounding the use of Artificial Intelligence. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich. 
• $1,135,000 for Central New Mexico Community College’s effort to expand innovative clean-energy and transmission technology training across New Mexico. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich. 
• $512,000 for the University of New Mexico’s District Partner Teacher Residency to support K-12 public education by preparing teacher residents with a comprehensive training approach. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich. 

Youth and Families:

• $500,000 for the National Forest Foundation – New Mexico to create an entry pathway for youth to begin careers in conservation.
• $307,000 for the San Juan County Partnership program to prevent youth substance use.
• $333,000 for Las Cumbres Community Services’ kinship care program, allowing grandparents to raise their grandchildren. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich.

STEM and STEAM Education:

• $250,000 for Explora to foster science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce exploration for middle and high school students. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich. 
• $500,000 for the Hispano Roundtable’s program to provide science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education to students across New Mexico. Secured by Senator Luján and Senator Heinrich.