New Mexico Bills | MyRepTracker

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 7: CHILDREN'S FUTURE ACT & FUND

HB 7 establishes the Children's Future Fund to support New Mexico children born on or after January 1, 2025, with funds intended for education, housing, entrepreneurship, and retirement. The bill creates a nonreverting state trust fund (initially appropriated $5 million for task force operations), exempts distributions from state income tax, and explicitly states benefits are not guaranteed or guaranteed property rights. A task force (appointed by July 2025) will develop implementation details like eligibility, application processes, and investment strategies before benefits are distributed. The fund's administration and disbursement rules will be finalized by the task force, with its report due December 31, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 15: HEALTH CARE STRATEGIC RECRUITMENT PROGRAM

HB 15 creates New Mexico's Health Care Strategic Recruitment Program within the Workforce Solutions Department to address healthcare shortages. The program targets recent graduates (within 10 years) of New Mexico public colleges in healthcare shortage fields who aren't currently working in the state, providing recruitment assistance, licensing navigation, job matching, and housing information. It requires collaboration with health and education agencies, tracks applicant data, and mandates annual reports on program success to the legislature. The bill appropriates $2 million for program start-up costs in fiscal year 2026.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 243: INTERSTATE MEDICAL LICENSURE COMPACT

HB 243, the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, creates a multi-state agreement allowing physicians licensed in one participating state to more easily obtain licenses in other participating states through a streamlined process. It directly affects physicians seeking to practice across state lines and state medical boards managing licensure. The bill establishes a "state of principal license" (where the physician primarily practices) and enables an "expedited license" in other compact states without full re-licensing, while maintaining each state's authority over medical practice within its borders. The compact does not replace existing state medical practice acts but provides an additional pathway for licensure, requiring physicians to meet specific eligibility criteria like having an unrestricted license and no serious criminal convictions.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SB 162: SEVERANCE TAX PERMANENT FUND INVESTMENTS

SB 162 sets a $700 million cap on investments from New Mexico's severance tax permanent fund into New Mexico private equity funds or New Mexico businesses. It replaces a previous percentage-based limit with this fixed dollar amount, requiring that such investments must support the state's economic development goals. The bill defines "New Mexico business" as having its principal office and majority of employees in the state, and "New Mexico private equity fund" as meeting specific criteria like investing primarily in NM businesses and requiring accredited investors. This change directly affects how the state allocates its oil and gas revenue fund to support local economic growth, while maintaining existing commitments of $500 million to the New Mexico Finance Authority and a 2% investment target for small business initiatives.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes

passed · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SB 456: PERMANENT COURTS & JUSTICE COMMITTEE

SB 456 creates a permanent joint legislative committee called the "Courts and Justice Committee" to study justice system issues. It establishes an 8-member committee (4 from each chamber, with proportional party representation) and grants it authority to conduct hearings, request documents from agencies, and review laws affecting courts and justice services. The committee must submit annual reports with recommendations to the legislature by December 15 each year. This procedural bill does not change laws or funding but creates a dedicated body for ongoing oversight of New Mexico’s justice system.

passed · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SB 137: RENAME ENHANCED 911 ACT

SB 137 is a procedural renaming bill that updates New Mexico's 911 system terminology. It removes "Enhanced" from the official name of the 911 Act, the 911 Emergency Service Fund, and the 911 Bond Act, replacing them with "911" throughout state law. The bill does not change funding levels, surcharge amounts, or operational requirements for 911 services - it only updates legal references to reflect current terminology. This affects all entities managing 911 systems, including public safety agencies and communication service providers, but makes no substantive policy changes.

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 22: PROHIBIT CREDIT CARD FEE TIP DEDUCTIONS

HB 22 amends New Mexico's Minimum Wage Act to prohibit employers from deducting credit card processing fees from tips paid via credit card. It requires employers to pay tipped employees the full amount indicated by patrons on credit card slips, without any deductions for fees charged by credit card companies. This directly affects service workers (like servers and bartenders) who receive tips through credit card payments in New Mexico. The bill takes immediate effect as it declares an emergency.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

passed · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SB 58: CHILDCARE FACILITY LICENSING ACT

SB 58, the Child Care Facility Licensing Act, requires child care facilities in New Mexico serving more than four nonresident children to obtain a license from the Early Childhood Education and Care Department. License-exempt facilities (operating in a home setting for four or fewer children) may choose to register with the department instead, allowing them to access federal food programs and child care assistance. The department will inspect facilities, enforce compliance through rules on safety and operations, and can revoke licenses or impose penalties for violations, especially those involving child safety risks. This bill establishes clear licensing requirements, registration options, and enforcement mechanisms to ensure child care facility standards.

passed · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SB 119: INVESTMENT IN BIOSCIENCE COMPANIES

SB 119 authorizes the New Mexico Bioscience Authority to invest in bioscience companies operating in New Mexico or relocating to New Mexico, requiring each company to maintain a minimum of five in-state employees with an average annual salary of $60,000. The bill establishes assessment criteria for investments, including market opportunity, financial stability, and projected economic benefits over five years, and mandates co-investing with qualified external organizations where the state provides no more than one-third of the total investment. Investment contracts require companies to either fully reimburse the state if they fail to meet obligations or demonstrate that their economic benefits to New Mexico exceeded the state's investment cost. The bill also creates a Bioscience Development Fund to manage these investments, with repayment priority in bankruptcy scenarios. (Note: Bill was postponed indefinitely in June 2025.)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 104: CRIMES AGAINST PEACE OFFICER DEFINITIONS

HB 104 expands New Mexico's Victims of Crime Act to include specific crimes committed against peace officers as qualifying "criminal offenses." It adds provisions (items 22-25) to the definition list, covering aggravated assault, assault with intent, battery, and aggravated battery upon peace officers. This change directly affects peace officers who are victims of these specific assaults, ensuring they qualify for victim services and compensation under the Act. The bill does not change penalties for these crimes but updates eligibility for victim support programs. The bill passed the House but was postponed indefinitely in the Senate on June 3, 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 111: SEARCH FOR MISSING QUALIFIED SERVICE ANIMAL

HB 111 requires first responders (law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs) in New Mexico to make a reasonable effort to search for a missing qualified service animal when notified during an emergency, while prioritizing human safety. It directly affects individuals with disabilities who rely on trained service animals (dogs or miniature horses that perform specific tasks), excluding emotional support or therapy animals. The bill amends existing law to add this obligation, ensuring service animals are not left unattended during evacuations or relocations. The bill passed the House in February 2025 but was postponed indefinitely in the Senate in June 2025.

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 74: FIREFIGHTER AND EMS PROVIDER PEER SUPPORT ACT

HB 74 creates a legal framework for fire and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies in New Mexico to establish confidential peer support programs for their employees and volunteers. The bill requires peer support team members to complete state-approved training covering issues like trauma, substance use, and grief, and mandates that all communications during support sessions remain confidential - except in limited cases involving imminent danger or court orders. It also provides limited liability protection for peer support providers and their agencies, shielding them from most lawsuits related to their support services. This directly affects firefighters, EMS personnel, and volunteers who face high-stress emergencies, offering them a structured, confidential resource to address behavioral health challenges.

Topics ✓ Healthcare