[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6131903,"mediaKeyId","5727728-6b4f645f5d257493269f5ad813d4afab","parentId",5727728,"title","Legislative Health & Human Services committee approves May 20 minutes","audioSeconds",102,"startMs",5152000,"endMs",5254000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5727728-6b4f645f5d257493269f5ad813d4afab&start=5152&end=5254","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5727728-6b4f645f5d257493269f5ad813d4afab/thumbnail_5152000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6131903/New-Mexico/Legislative-Health-Human-Services-committee-approves-May-20-minutes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6131903-0ae124fcd9ad398498341d83f46b9bd2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770788719&Signature=LB7lTpJznJOuExKODZ-s2boI6Qv5Mua3ngZQWzs1dnZkKD5OjhARTNexhnO2TOJrLKI7IgtSbXzobBwNJR3vqHo1DpWckyl3rm9IeuqFU26Vhc081bmxwezyh-vJDVyLORSy9k7t-JX3R2e8sygNQzwRaa0RShTZ0apFFd9WfMkajhxXbaB06s5t1adYT~3VqBQIi9u6e4lFnYjIFJD~U8rJ-YZzq6pywPdYP5JiQpFeGpa42vTK-~R6HCcpPemc2YuMppLwUoCiF6jLwR~GmAguJ3HOqUap8YCNfrafiwTzRhx1mobFPljy-wZwkSjEe7X0QEOYO-EOrAwlhQptfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Mexico Legislature","date","2025-06-25T00:00:00Z","article","The Legislative Health & Human Services Committee approved the minutes of its May 20 meeting during the session after a motion and second. Senator Cedillo Lopez moved to approve the minutes and Senator Block seconded. Committee members indicated no opposition and the minutes were approved by voice vote.

The committee then recessed for lunch and continued its scheduled presentations and public comment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Legislative Health and Human Services Committee Jun 25, 2025 10:16 AM - 11:45 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The committee approved minutes from its May 20 meeting by voice vote with no opposition; motion made by Senator Cedillo Lopez and seconded by Senator Block.","taxTitle","Legislative Health & Human Services, Interim, Committees, Legislative, New Mexico","taxId",65389,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6131909,"Advocate says HB2-authorized provider rate increases not implemented as fiscal year ends",92,5174000,5266000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5727728-6b4f645f5d257493269f5ad813d4afab&start=5174&end=5266","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5727728-6b4f645f5d257493269f5ad813d4afab/thumbnail_5174000.jpg","/articles/6131909/New-Mexico/Advocate-says-HB2-authorized-provider-rate-increases-not-implemented-as-fiscal-year-ends","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6131909-24fbc09cce93b9e8155944c455dd913e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770788719&Signature=InJ3h2~tg-5BtqsPm4qvWbDJ6l7RptC1UracG4kEBZNw3H6hNQfV0cAJEK1a5q0Qa~8hiYmYLGWg9UPWAVAGntMByjUjroVj993TD07aljGiMqy3cnDMbji5xvEs5-2qakol15S5wG6lWbGMqGUudHkfH0WR0twPi8A2X6WLb81MRZDpIY7epxVmer6pPKXKcNFDBjgqHMLM-FQdkeT-BlsVdkcysn8V-T6OMPnvt8rL41n0y7lWmj4xnH2FNsqrzK1fEyzsYwayPrj-~3SADQQKuaXh1mwh2cf-IGAl7c5nupWZeUbWGgRlY4ZiTJw1-YEcTaz2UhUI8i2EeVMPQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Robert Cagle, an advocate who testified in public comment to the Legislative Health & Human Services Committee, said the governor’s budget requested $331 million for the DD waiver program and specifically requested $28 million for provider-rate increases based on a PCG rate study. Cagle said the PCG study recommended a 3.7% increase for fiscal year 2025 and that the Legislative Finance Committee recommended $26.3 million for provider-rate increases.

“HB2 passed. The $26.3 million was put in for FY26,” Cagle said, but he told the committee that the fiscal year was ending and no provider-rate increases had been implemented. He argued the state was out of compliance with federal Medicaid requirements that payment rates be consistent with quality of care and sufficient to ensure availability of services in the geographic area.

Cagle said legislative documents and agency materials support the funding recommendations but that, notwithstanding authorization in the budget bill, an increase had not been executed by the end of the fiscal year. He urged the committee and lawmakers to follow up to ensure provider payments are implemented so services remain available.","An advocate told the committee that the governor and Legislative Finance Committee recommended provider-rate funding increases for DD services, HB2 included $26.3 million for FY26, but the increases had not been implemented at the end of the fiscal year.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6131913,"Developmental Disabilities Council outlines state waivers, special-education ombuds and assistive services",3460,157000,3617000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5727728-6b4f645f5d257493269f5ad813d4afab&start=157&end=3617","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5727728-6b4f645f5d257493269f5ad813d4afab/thumbnail_157000.jpg","/articles/6131913/New-Mexico/Developmental-Disabilities-Council-outlines-state-waivers-special-education-ombuds-and-assistive-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6131913-96030c06d543e86812b28ab4ac777e77/orig.mp4?Expires=1770788719&Signature=IMXE-XhfdAP1FtK41SuZUFFWqFRmhY~iALNfRLM0wAo7L2-lsVbANnqWLsU9Va~ahHXvK88cCSPKmOb5Mo6ZP-RyrTJAlKboifX7z-ohj6dkhptShG33AIx6yRxpbNN18YM-MtAiOb~xGDH~D31-m3mla4eN~i20qUiHDtyMg7JpIVxGhk3BVzP6n-a-glrB8ZOUV9CMsPQ6nBEhs-iw-XACCydhswABAWA0yjRZkSJrwJ-5di~YrAsAJQKT4VFF8UHwRCd19f7gfshl74FqDrQadjWdkSBR4gcBQ4apoiyTUdesCqAiWCvRfjWF5oPj~ghq8AWhTqlhiele2RG0cQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alice Lou McCoy, executive director of the New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Council, told the Legislative Health & Human Services Committee that the federal Developmental Disabilities (DD) Act defines developmental disability as a severe, chronic disability manifested by age 22 that results in substantial functional limitations and may make a person eligible for certain services.

McCoy described four main Medicaid waiver programs administered through the Developmental Disabilities Support Division (DDSD) now housed at the Health Care Authority: the comprehensive DD waiver, the self-directed MiVIA waiver (budgeted, participant-directed supports), a $10,000-a-year supports waiver created when the DD waiver waiting list was long, and a medically fragile waiver for people with medically complex needs. She told lawmakers that about 7,000 people in New Mexico are served on the DD waiver.

McCoy outlined additional state resources and partners: the UNM Center for Developmental Disabilities (the state’s UCEDD), Disability Rights New Mexico (the state protection and advocacy agency), the Governor’s Commission on Disability (which runs the Residential Accessibility Modification Program, RAMP), and the New Mexico Technology Assistance Program (NMTAP), which lends assistive technology for trial use. She urged legislators to consider funding needs across these programs and warned that proposed federal budget cuts could reduce funding for UCEDDs and protection-and-advocacy agencies.

On education, McCoy described the Office of the Special Education Ombuds placed at the DDC in 2021 to support students and families during individualized education program (IEP) processes. She said the ombuds is explicitly an advocacy-focused office for students and families — the first model of its kind — and that public school districts and charter schools are statutorily required to post ombuds contact information in prominent locations. Senator Shannon Pinto told the committee she had not seen the ombuds posting in schools in her district, and McCoy said that, under state law, failure to post (physically in the school building) would be noncompliance.

McCoy also described workforce and early-intervention programs: the Family Infant Toddler (FIT) program for early identification, the Public Education Department’s Office of Special Education, and Vocational Rehabilitation for employment supports. Representative Kate (first name not specified in transcript) and other members noted resources and programs for employers and housing providers to improve accessibility.

In public comment, Jim Jackson, registered lobbyist and chair of the Disability Coalition for Disability Rights New Mexico, told the committee the DD waiver waiting list had been eliminated through recent state action but cautioned that other Medicaid-related waiting lists remain for home- and community-based services for people whose income is above typical Medicaid eligibility but below a higher threshold.

McCoy gave contact names for DDC programs and described the council’s intake process for guardianship applications and ombuds services, and she urged members to connect constituents to the council when they need assistance.","The Developmental Disabilities Council briefed the Legislative Health & Human Services Committee on federal DD Act definitions, state waiver programs, the Office of Special Education Ombuds and other statewide resources including RAMP and the New Mexico Technology Assistance Program.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6131918,"Office of Guardianship reports long waitlists, says emergency guardianship rules tightened",569,2223000,2792000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5727728-6b4f645f5d257493269f5ad813d4afab&start=2223&end=2792","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5727728-6b4f645f5d257493269f5ad813d4afab/thumbnail_2223000.jpg","/articles/6131918/New-Mexico/Office-of-Guardianship-reports-long-waitlists-says-emergency-guardianship-rules-tightened","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6131918-75602fe5b8d5fa9d8faeb1f8653250ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1770788719&Signature=Zh6PLpT25-MSUIFoSI2vSbV6dLYnd4FRK3OjWCxZTjWn~T7jfoBqGisl2~KEMrMEKf~sgmNtleo3xYeUvkpt1ks7fx01o~ewWQqjGQJRHetxNPMYKJncaOaDcDQNs3BF7j4lPogj~kkpW4wskj8mE~fXAW~sbKWALoTzO98swCYMTUJwvrWEWViTyFEwOY2kruoxO1~dkxOoOUwF8gJlo6gNYCJeytiAP9Y3A8XxDTePlBV5I4sydaLNJ41caMV8Ki29vvGqyo9L9uymd0MkVNM6iPeom7TiPb-3mPLE5kbXraMSmfxYtlkQn-KUP8YbYlUYfcBjH~uSPLD5Al6eBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Alice Lou McCoy, executive director of the New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Council, told the Legislative Health & Human Services Committee that the council’s Office of Guardianship is serving more than 1,000 state-funded guardianship cases and that roughly 6,000 people across the state are currently under guardianship or conservatorship.

McCoy said the council began the session with “over 300 on the wait list” for state-funded guardianship services and that those waiting lists and provider capacity shape how quickly applications are resolved.

The office provides court-appointed legal services for people who cannot afford private counsel, McCoy said, and applies a 200% federal poverty-level income test for state-funded assistance. She described the required legal process for establishing guardianship in New Mexico as resource-intensive: petition counsel, a guardian ad litem, and a court visitor report are typically required, and families often pay thousands of dollars for the filings and hearings. McCoy said one family she worked with previously paid more than $5,000.

McCoy described recent changes to emergency guardianship procedures aimed at preventing misuse. She said emergency guardianship no longer operates as an immediate, broadly permissive tool. Under the tightened standard, emergency guardianship requires a life-or-death level showing and a judge must explicitly approve major actions such as moving a person or selling assets. “Now you cannot get emergency guardianship unless there is a life-or-death situation,” McCoy said. She added that emergency guardianship appointments now require specific court approval before a guardian may sell assets or relocate a protected person.

The council also enforces higher certification and oversight standards for professional guardianships. McCoy said statutory changes require certified guardianship providers to follow the National Guardianship Association standards and that, since 2021, her office conducts annual comprehensive service reviews of guardian providers. The council also maintains a program of welfare visits and reported selecting at least 200 protected persons for visits each year as a minimum performance measure.

McCoy said the council pursues alternatives to guardianship when appropriate, but recognized that some people will need guardianship and that high-quality oversight and protections are necessary when guardianship is used.

Clarifying details McCoy provided to the committee included the council’s intake process, prioritization for emergency petitions (which bypass the wait list), the 200% poverty eligibility rule for state-funded legal services, the multi-professional costs required to obtain guardianship, and the council’s annual review and welfare-visit practices.

Looking forward, McCoy said the council is discussing expansion of a court-visitor pilot program with the Administrative Office of the Courts and legislative sponsors to strengthen oversight of guardianship cases. She asked legislators to consider the program’s expansion in the coming session.","The New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Council’s Office of Guardianship told the Legislative Health & Human Services Committee it serves more than 1,000 state-funded cases, that about 6,000 people statewide are under guardianship or conservatorship, and that emergency guardianship rules were recently tightened to limit misuse.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Legislative Health & Human Services committee approves May 20 minutes

Advocate says HB2-authorized provider rate increases not implemented as fiscal year ends

Developmental Disabilities Council outlines state waivers, special-education ombuds and assistive services

Office of Guardianship reports long waitlists, says emergency guardianship rules tightened