SB 262 — CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECTS

SENATE CONSERVATION COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE BILL 262 57TH LEGISLATURE -STATEOFNEWMEXICO- FIRST SESSION, 2025 INTRODUCED4 BY Pete Campos 6 8 10 AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS TOFOR THEPROGRAM STATECOORDINATORS PARKSTO DIVISIONOVERSEE OFCITIZEN THESCIENCE ENERGY,PROJECTS MINERALS AND NATURALTO RESOURCESCREATE DEPARTMENT,AND THEMAINTAIN DEPARTMENTWEB OFPORTALS ENVIRONMENT AND THEINFORMATION DEPARTMENTSYSTEMS OFTO GAMETRACK AND FISHEVALUATE FOR PROGRAM COORDINATORS TO OVERSEE CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECTS;PROJECTS.

MAKING16 ANBE APPROPRIATIONIT TOENACTED BY THE BOARDLEGISLATURE OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITYSTATE OF NEW MEXICOMEXICO: TO OVERSEE THE PROGRAM COORDINATORS e t 17 AND CREATE AND MAINTAIN WEB PORTALS AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO w l n d 18 TRACK AND EVALUATE THE CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECTS.

= = 19 a l i a e rt 2017 BESECTION IT1. ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

aAPPROPRIATIONS.-- tw ml mn 21d SECTION18 1.A.

APPROPRIATIONS.--The following amounts are appropriated from the = = 19 a l general fund to the following agencies for expenditure in i a e r 20 fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to employ program coordinators to a t m m 21 oversee citizen science projects in which members of the public d r e 22 A.volunteer to assist in conducting scientific research and c e s k 23 collecting data on wildlife and to collaborate with the other e a n b 24 state agencies enumerated in this subsection:

Oneu hundred[ thirty-seven(1) thousand five hundred c e s k 23 dollars ($137,500) is appropriated from the generalstate fundparks todivision e a n b 24 each of the followingenergy, agencies.230613.3 forSCONC/SB expenditure262 inminerals fiscal year u [ 2026 and subsequentnatural fiscalresources yearsdepartment, totwo contracthundred forseventy- servicesfive forthousand adollars .230103.1($275,000); program coordinator to oversee citizen science projects in which members of the public volunteer to assist in conducting scientific research and collecting data on wildlife.

Anyand unexpended(2) or unencumbered balance remaining at the enddepartment of aenvironment, fiscaltwo yearhundred shallseventy-five notthousand revertdollars to($275,000). the general fund:

(1) the state parks division of the energy, minerals and natural resources department;

(2) the department of environment;

and (3) the department of game and fish.

TwoFour hundred thousand dollars ($200,000)($400,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the board of regents of the university of New Mexico for expenditure in fiscal yearyears 2026 and subsequent2027 fiscal years for the natural heritage New Mexico,Mexico a program within the museum of southwestern biology and the biology department of biology of the university,university of New Mexico to contractprovide for servicesprogram expenses and employ staff to overseesupport citizen science project programcoordinators, e t 17 coordinators and create and maintain web portals and wcreate l n d 18 information systems to track and evaluate the citizen science =projects. = 19 a l projects described in Subsection A of this section.

AnyC. i a e r 20 unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of a a t m m 21 fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund.

dAny runexpended eor 22unencumbered -balance 2remaining -at cthe eend sof kfiscal 23year 2027 from the appropriations pursuant e at n17 bto 24this usection [shall .230103.1revert to the general fund.

w l n d 18 - 2 - = = 19 a l i a e r 20 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .230613.3