The proposed bill, known as the "Food Recovery and Composting Act," aims to establish a comprehensive program within the Department of Environment to promote food recovery, composting, and organic waste reduction in New Mexico. It creates a Food Recovery and Composting Program that will provide grants, education, and outreach initiatives to eligible entities, which include municipalities, counties, and tribal governments. The bill also establishes a Food Recovery and Composting Advisory Group to guide the program and ensure balanced representation from various stakeholders. Additionally, a nonreverting Food Recovery and Composting Fund is created to support these initiatives, funded through appropriations and donations.

To finance the program, the bill imposes a surcharge of $3.00 per ton on solid waste processed at solid waste facilities, with a reduced rate of $2.00 for facilities that operate on-site composting. The surcharge will be administered by the Taxation and Revenue Department, and the funds collected will be allocated to the Food Recovery and Composting Fund. The bill also amends existing tax laws to include the Food Recovery and Composting Act under the Tax Administration Act. The provisions of this act are set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 7-1-2