Committee weighs expansion for New Mexico Care and $10M Kiki Fund infusion

The House Appropriations & Finance Committee heard a detailed review of Aging & Long‑Term Services' budget on a packet covering Business Unit 624. LFC analyst Emily Hilla and DFA analyst Lori Siaka said the largest variances between the LFC and executive recommendations are in general fund assumptions and the proposed use of the Kiki Saavedra senior dignity fund.

Secretary Kolsomoff told the committee the administration wants to expand New Mexico Care — a Grow‑and‑general‑fund hybrid program that pays informal caregivers — from roughly 400 participants now to about 1,000 by December 2026 and that the expansion would require about $6.2 million in general fund support. "New Mexico Care has provided over 11,000 estimated caregiver hours," she said, and, "every dollar we spend in New Mexico Care, there's $6 in community value and savings." She also described the Kiki Fund's major uses and urged clearer accounting for that fund so legislators can see what lines are one‑time versus recurring.

Members raised specific questions. Representative Sanchez and others pressed analysts on prior recommendations for the aging network and on whether non‑metro area agencies on aging (AAAs) are being underfunded; Hilla confirmed LFC recommended a smaller recurring increase than the executive, while Kolsomoff urged consideration of the executive language in catch‑up cleanup. Representative Herndon and others asked how New Mexico Care screens caregivers; the secretary said the program performs background checks, home visits and six‑month follow‑ups, and that staff would provide more detail on sealed juvenile records and how they affect background checks.

Committee action: Vice Chair Dixon moved that the committee adopt the LFC recommendation for Aging while including executive language about an initial 12.5% distribution provision; the motion passed with Representative Dow recorded in opposition. Analysts were directed to return in catch‑up cleanup with more detail and with segregated Kiki accounting as requested by members.

What to watch next: follow‑up materials on Kiki fund accounting, the detailed plan and cost model behind the $6.2M New Mexico Care expansion, and the staff memo on caregiver background checks and how sealed records are handled.