HB 203 Hearing in House Appropriations This Week (We Hope!)
We expect the Health Security Planning & Design Board Act (HB 203) to be heard in the House Appropriations & Finance Committee this week, possibly as soon as tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon.
And we have some good news to share! Funding for HB 203 has been secured and will be in the "junior" budget bill. That means that the appropriation included in HB 203 is no longer needed and can be removed during the Appropriations Committee hearing.
The committee agendas are posted online just one day in advance—often late in the evening—so we don't have much advance notice of when bills will be heard. We'll let you know as soon as HB 203 is on the committee's agenda. (Any new information will also be posted on the gold bar at the top of the home page.)
Because HB 203 may be heard as early as tomorrow, if you haven't already called your legislator, please call TODAY! See details below.
Just a reminder: HB 203 will set up a board to develop the details of the Health Security Plan, which will automatically provide guaranteed, comprehensive health care coverage to most New Mexicans.
Legislative Update on Thursday (03/04), 7:00-8:15 PM
Our next legislative update via Zoom is planned for this Thursday, March 4. Hopefully by then HB 203 will have been heard—and passed—by House Appropriations. Join us on Thursday for the latest.
Call Your Representative on the Appropriations Committee Today
If your representative is on the Appropriations & Finance Committee, please call them to ask them to vote for HB 203. You can also add that the funding for HB 203 is in “junior”—Appropriations Committee members are particularly concerned with funding.
If you can't get through on the phone, please send an email with the subject line "Vote yes on HB 203 (Health Security)" and just one or two sentences about why you support the Health Security Plan and want to see the development process begin.
Make sure to note that you live in your representative's district—legislators pay more attention to their constituents!
Please also reach out to friends and relatives, as they may live in one of the following representatives' districts, even if you don't. These calls can have a real impact on legislators' votes.
If you're not sure who your representative is, find out here.