U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján has secured more than $12 million in federal funding for New Mexico projects focused on health care, workforce training and education through a committee-approved spending bill for fiscal year 2026.
The funding comes through the Senate Appropriations Committee’s passage of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The legislation now advances to the full Senate for consideration.
Luján (D-NM) obtained $12,062,000 in congressionally directed spending for community projects targeting behavioral health services, job training, STEM education and youth development programs across the state.
“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,” Luján said in a statement Thursday.
Many of the larger allocations were secured jointly with Sen. Martin Heinrich, also a New Mexico Democrat.
The largest single allocation, $1.54 million, will support the University of New Mexico’s Project ECHO, a rural health telemonitoring training program. Another $1.48 million will fund UNM services for individuals and families experiencing substance use crises.
The Albuquerque area will receive $1.14 million for a comprehensive behavioral health and substance use disorder center serving homeless individuals. Central New Mexico Community College secured $1.14 million to expand clean-energy and transmission technology training programs.
Workforce development initiatives include $1 million for San Juan College’s commercial driver’s license training program and $798,000 for UNM’s data science training in rural and tribal communities.
Several projects focus on youth programming, including $500,000 for the National Forest Foundation’s conservation career pathway program and $333,000 for Las Cumbres Community Services’ kinship care program supporting grandparents raising grandchildren.
Additional funding supports STEM education through $500,000 for the Hispano Roundtable’s statewide STEAM education program and $250,000 for Explora’s workforce exploration programs for middle and high school students.
Earlier this month, Luján announced nearly $190 million in federal investments passed by the full Senate, bringing total fiscal year 2026 investments for New Mexico to more than $300 million.