SANTA FE – Acting Governor Howie Morales today signed House Bill 1, providing up to $20 million per week to ensure New Mexicans continue receiving food assistance amid ongoing federal uncertainty over SNAP benefits under President Donald Trump’s watch.

“The Trump administration’s chaotic approach to SNAP funding during the shutdown demonstrates exactly why this special session was important,” Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “We told New Mexicans we would stand up for them, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. New Mexicans won’t go hungry while Republicans in Washington, D.C. manufacture crisis after crisis.”

House Bill 1, passed by the legislature during today’s special session, authorizes weekly appropriations of up to $20 million from the general fund operating reserve to provide state nutrition assistance benefits to the approximately 460,000 New Mexicans who rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The legislation provides funding through the week of Jan. 19, 2026, ensuring continuity of SNAP benefits only if federal funding fails.

“No New Mexico families will go hungry thanks to the efficient work of our state legislators and the leadership of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham today. I am proud that we came together in the best spirit as New Mexicans to make sure vulnerable families in our state are taken care of. This legislation ensures New Mexicans can feed their families this holiday season,” Morales said.

The bill also includes $100,000 for enhanced security protocols, equipment and infrastructure at the Administrative Office of the Courts and transfers $30 million from the general fund operating reserve to the appropriation contingency fund for future emergencies.

“SNAP is a lifeline for over 460,000 New Mexicans, including children, working families, seniors and people with disabilities. It reduces poverty, supports health and stimulates our economy,” said Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth. “Protecting full access to food assistance benefits is both a moral necessity and smart economic policy, and I’m proud the legislature came together today to see that these benefits will not lapse regardless of what happens in Washington D.C.”

“Right now, nearly half a million seniors, children, people with disabilities, and working parents across our state are worrying about where their next meal will come from—all because the Trump Administration is fighting tooth and nail to avoid their obligation to fund SNAP,” House Speaker Javier Martínez said. “Once again, our state is coming together to deliver the critical services New Mexicans cannot live without.”

The state administered full federal November SNAP benefits on Nov. 7 to eligible New Mexicans whose issuance date fell between Nov. 1-8, with benefits set to be released for those with funding days that come later in the month.

New Mexico moved forward with the full benefit issuance only after the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated that it would comply with the Nov. 6 District Court of Rhode Island order requiring full November SNAP funding. Then, the Trump administration reversed course, telling states to claw back full funding, imperiling the nation’s most vulnerable families once more.

The second special session builds on actions taken during the Oct. 1 special session, when Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the legislature allocated $30 million in emergency state funds to provide food assistance after SNAP benefits were suspended under the government shutdown.

SNAP, established under the Food Stamp Act of 1964, is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, serving approximately 42 million Americans each year. The program also generates economic activity, producing up to $1.80 in local economic benefits for every SNAP dollar spent.

“I want to thank Speaker Martínez, Senate Pro Tem Stewart for presiding over the Senate in my absence, Senate Majority Leader Wirth and all the legislators on both sides of the aisle who came together to protect New Mexican families,” Morales said.

Acting Governor Morales signs House Bill 1 to extend state food assistance for New Mexicans, ensuring continuity of food benefits only if federal funding fails.