HB 67 defines "reasonable assurance" for higher education employees to prevent denial of unemployment benefits during academic breaks. It affects faculty and staff at New Mexico educational institutions who have a clear expectation of returning to similar or higher-level roles after summer or semester breaks. The bill clarifies that benefits cannot be denied if an employee has a written, oral, or implied offer of continued employment for the next academic term, based on historical reemployment patterns and reasonable anticipation of availability. The bill passed the House but was postponed indefinitely in the Senate on June 3, 2025.
SB 116 creates a three-year pilot program for math labs in New Mexico public schools serving kindergarten through sixth grade. Participating schools must establish dedicated math labs with at least one qualified teacher, focus on small-group hands-on learning aligned with standards, and provide teacher training. The state appropriates $3 million (2026-2028) to fund grants of at least $100,000 per participating school annually, requiring schools to track student math proficiency data and report outcomes. The bill was referred to committees but was postponed indefinitely on June 3, 2025, meaning it is not currently active.
SB 139 prohibits New Mexico state and local agencies from adopting or enforcing rules that restrict vehicle sales or purchases based on energy source (like banning electric or gas vehicles) or mandate specific percentages of zero-emission vehicles. It directly affects state environmental agencies, local boards, and municipalities responsible for air quality regulations under the Air Quality Control Act. The bill blocks three key rule types: (1) rules limiting vehicles by energy source, (2) rules banning internal combustion engine vehicles, and (3) rules requiring a minimum percentage of zero-emission vehicles. This prevents regulatory actions that would favor or restrict certain vehicle types, focusing solely on prohibiting those specific policy mechanisms.
SB 181 amends New Mexico's Local Economic Development Act to expand the definition of "qualifying entity" eligible for state economic development support. It specifically adds "independent medical practices" (like non-hospital clinics) and "veterinary facilities" to the list of entities that can qualify. This change allows these new categories to access public support mechanisms such as land, infrastructure, grants, or loan guarantees under the Act, without altering existing support rules. The bill does not change how support is provided, only who qualifies for it.
HB 530 prohibits the unauthorized distribution of sensitive deepfake images - digitally altered images showing private body parts or intimate acts without consent - and creates new criminal penalties for this act (misdemeanor for first offense, felony for repeat offenses). It also establishes a new civil right for victims to sue for libel, slander, or invasion of privacy related to such images, allowing recovery of actual damages, punitive damages, attorney fees, and profits gained by the perpetrator. The bill directly affects individuals whose private images are manipulated and shared without consent, particularly targeting non-consensual deepfakes used for harassment or intimidation. It defines "sensitive deepfake images" as digitally altered depictions of genitals (or women’s breasts below the areola) or intimate acts, and clarifies that consent to create such images does not imply consent to distribute them.
SB 426 repeals an outdated 1971 law (Section 22-14-20 NMSA 1978) that established the New Mexico School for the Visually Handicapped. It transfers the school's responsibilities to the Blind Administrative Unit within the Department of Education's Vocational Rehabilitation Division. This change eliminates an obsolete agency structure and consolidates services for visually impaired individuals under a current administrative unit. The bill aimed to modernize how the state manages these educational services but was postponed indefinitely in the House.
This Senate Memorial declares February 11, 2025 as "Lowrider Day" in the New Mexico Senate and requests the legislature consider designating the lowrider as New Mexico's official state car. It recognizes lowrider culture as integral to New Mexico's heritage, citing its significance in communities like Albuquerque, Espanola, and Santa Fe. The resolution does not create new law but formally acknowledges cultural traditions and encourages legislative consideration of the state car designation.
HB 257 amends New Mexico's Oil and Gas Act to give the Oil Conservation Division authority to create rules regulating transfers of oil and gas wells. The bill specifically allows the division to restrict transfers when transferors or transferees have unresolved violations of oil and gas regulations, fail to provide required financial assurance, lack sufficient financial capacity to manage well liabilities, or when the division deems restrictions necessary to mitigate risks from inactive or abandoned wells. This directly affects oil and gas companies and individuals buying or selling wells in New Mexico. The change adds these conditions to existing transfer rules without altering other aspects of well ownership or operations.
SB 192 amends New Mexico's property tax code to update veteran exemptions based on recent voter-approved constitutional changes. It directly affects veterans and disabled veterans' surviving spouses by allowing their property tax exemptions to be transferred to a surviving spouse in the same tax year through a written request to the county assessor. The bill also modifies valuation rules for residential properties, limiting annual value increases (with exceptions for solar installations, disaster repairs, or ownership changes) and removing requirements for mailing residential property declarations to owners. These changes aim to clarify and streamline property tax administration while maintaining key veteran benefits.
HB 446 creates New Mexico's first state-funded paid parental leave program, providing eligible workers with wage replacement to bond with a newborn, adopted child, or foster child. The bill establishes the "Supplemental Paid Parental Leave Fund" (funded through the Early Childhood Education and Care Fund) to pay applicants 60-70% of their wages for up to 12 weeks of leave. It directly affects most New Mexico employees and self-employed individuals (excluding railroad workers and certain others), administered by the Workforce Solutions Department. The program requires workers to apply through the department, with payments covering bonding time within 12 months of the child's arrival, and excludes employers already offering comparable benefits.
SB 265 increases penalty assessments for numerous motor vehicle and boat code violations in New Mexico. It raises fines for offenses like speeding (e.g., increasing penalties for 31-35 mph over the limit from $125-$200 to $150-$225), failure to wear seat belts, improper lane changes, and pedestrian violations. The bill directly affects drivers and boat operators convicted of these misdemeanor violations by imposing higher financial penalties. Key provisions amend sections of the Motor Vehicle Code to establish updated penalty schedules, with most common violations seeing increases from $25-$100 to $50-$125.
HB 432 would require schools to report students with persistent unexcused absences to juvenile probation after interventions, potentially triggering neglect investigations. It would make it a crime for parents to allow continued school absences, with penalties including $50-$100 fines for a first offense or up to six months in jail for repeat offenses. The bill also allows suspending a student’s driving privileges for up to 90 days on a first offense and up to one year for subsequent offenses. This legislation directly affects parents of chronically absent students and school districts implementing attendance enforcement.
