New Mexico Bills

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 4, 2026

HB 61: AGGRAVATED BATTERY ON POLICE OFFICER

HB 61 increases penalties for assaulting police officers in New Mexico. It directly affects individuals who commit battery against officers while they are lawfully performing duties. The bill reclassifies two types of offenses: causing temporary disfigurement or loss of body function becomes a fourth-degree felony, while inflicting great bodily harm or using deadly weapons raises the charge to a second-degree felony. These changes modify existing criminal penalties under Section 30-22-25 of New Mexico law, making the most severe assaults carry significantly higher penalties.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 4, 2026

HB 165: PAYMENT OF CERTAIN IRB SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS

HB 165 clarifies that property lessees under industrial revenue bond leases must pay special assessments for eligible energy, water, or resilience improvements on commercial, industrial, or large residential properties. The bill amends New Mexico law to explicitly include lessees (not just owners) as responsible for these payments under the Improvement Special Assessment Act. Key provisions require counties to record liens securing these assessments against the property, with the payment obligation tied to the lease agreement. This directly affects lessees of properties with five or more dwelling units or industrial facilities financed through such leases. The bill does not change the types of qualifying improvements or create new financing mechanisms.

signed · New Mexico · Senate Mar 4, 2026

SB 21: MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT OPEN ENROLLMENT

SB 21 requires New Mexico Medicare supplement insurers to offer annual open enrollment periods for seniors. It directly affects residents aged 65+ with Medicare supplement policies (Medigap) in New Mexico. The bill mandates that each eligible policyholder receives a 60-day enrollment window starting the first day of their birthday month, during which they can switch to policies of equal or lesser value without health-based denial, discrimination, or preexisting condition exclusions. Insurers must also notify policyholders 30-60 days before the window opens about their rights and policy changes.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 4, 2026

HB 64: PUBLIC PROJECT REVOLVING FUND APPROPRIATIONS

HB 64 allocates $13.25 million from New Mexico's Public Project Revolving Fund to three specific state funds for fiscal year 2027 and beyond. It provides $6.25 million to the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund to match federal projects under the Safe Drinking Water Act, $2 million to the Local Government Planning Fund, and $5 million to the Cultural Affairs Facilities Infrastructure Fund for facility upgrades. The bill ensures unspent funds remain with the recipient programs instead of returning to the original revolving fund. This directly supports water infrastructure projects, local government planning initiatives, and cultural facility improvements across the state.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 4, 2026

HB 154: ADVANCED ENERGY PRODUCT DEFINITION

HB 154 updates the definition of "advanced energy product" for New Mexico's existing tax credit programs. It specifies that qualifying products include solar components (like panels and cells), wind turbine parts, battery materials, fusion machine components, and critical minerals (such as lithium and cobalt). This definition determines eligibility for the Advanced Energy Equipment Income Tax Credit and Corporate Income Tax Credit, which provide tax relief for manufacturers investing in qualifying facilities within New Mexico. The bill directly affects businesses producing these specific energy technologies who seek to claim the tax credits.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

signed · New Mexico · Senate Mar 4, 2026

SB 143: UPDATE CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL FEES

SB 143 updates fee amounts for several New Mexico agricultural regulatory programs. It raises annual license fees for egg dealers (small: $10 to $20, large: $50 to $100), pesticide registrations ($150 to $200), and nursery permits ($75 to $100). These changes directly affect egg producers, pesticide businesses, nursery operators, and fertilizer distributors who must pay these updated fees. The bill amends existing statutes to reflect the new fee schedules under the Egg Grading Act, Pesticide Control Act, and Plant Protection Act.

signed · New Mexico · Senate Mar 4, 2026

SB 132: DOIT SOFTWARE REPLACEMENT PLAN & FUNDING

SB 132 expands New Mexico's Department of Information Technology (DOIT) funding mechanisms to include software replacement costs alongside hardware. It amends existing law to rename "Equipment Replacement Revolving Funds" as "Equipment and Software Replacement Revolving Funds," requiring DOIT to create separate plans for both hardware and software replacement for its enterprise services. The bill establishes that funds must be replenished through revenue from services (based on cost structures) and cannot expire at year-end, ensuring dedicated capital for replacing both physical equipment and associated software used across state agencies. This change directly affects DOIT's operations and the state's IT infrastructure funding, shifting the focus from purely equipment to encompassing software lifecycle management.

Topics ✓ Technology

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 4, 2026

HB 255: PUBLIC SAFETY WORKFORCE BUILDING PROGRAM

HB 255 creates a dedicated state fund to help counties and public safety agencies recruit and retain workers in law enforcement, firefighting, corrections, and public defender offices. The program provides competitive grants for recruitment bonuses, training, cross-jurisdictional collaboration, and equipment tied to workforce development - *not* for base salaries or new positions. Grant applicants must demonstrate how their initiatives address local staffing gaps, with priority given to areas with high vacancy rates or crime. All funds must be spent within two years, and grantees must submit annual progress reports to the state.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 4, 2026

HB 43: DISABILITY & SURVIVOR PENSIONS CHANGES

HB 43 amends New Mexico's Public Employees Retirement Act to clarify disability and survivor pension rules, including removing inconsistencies in survivor pension calculations. It creates a disability review committee within the retirement board to handle disability retirement claims. The bill also allows state fire members and other eligible public safety workers (like police officers) to earn retirement service credit during approved workers' compensation leave if their employer continues paying both employee and employer pension contributions. Technical changes are made to service credit purchase and reinstatement procedures for members.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · New Mexico · Senate Feb 27, 2026

SM 31: PERA WORK GROUP

This memorial requests the creation of a work group to study the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) fund's solvency, focusing on factors affecting retiree benefits and cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). It directly affects approximately 30,000 New Mexico public retirees whose pensions have not kept pace with inflation since 2020 changes suspended COLAs and altered adjustment formulas. The work group will examine PERA's unfunded liability causes - such as investment underperformance and salary increases - evaluate COLA formulas tied to inflation, and recommend improvements to fund solvency without harming retiree benefits. The group, composed of finance experts and retirees, must report by December 2026. (Note: This is a procedural memorial requesting a study, not a policy change.)

signed · New Mexico · Senate Feb 27, 2026

SJR 7: SANTA FE PROPERTY EXCHANGE

SJR 7 is a joint resolution ratifying an exchange of property between the New Mexico General Services Department and the City of Santa Fe. It approves the state giving up five parcels of land (totaling ~19 acres) in Santa Fe's midtown area (valued at $6.5 million) for one city-owned parcel (34.97 acres) at 4491 Cerrillos Road. This exchange requires legislative approval under state law (NMSA 1978 §13-6-3) because the state property's value exceeds $550,000. The resolution was signed into law on February 27, 2026, after passing the Senate.

signed · New Mexico · House Feb 25, 2026

HB 285: DISABLED VETERAN PROPERTY TAX CHANGES

HB 285 clarifies rules for New Mexico's existing disabled veteran property tax exemption, directly affecting veterans with service-connected disabilities and their surviving spouses who own property. It specifies that veterans must occupy the property as their principal residence to qualify, clarifies how exemptions apply to properties with multiple owners, and streamlines the claiming process by requiring proof of eligibility (including a veterans' services certificate) within 30 days of receiving the county assessor's notice. The bill also adds procedures for claiming the exemption after moving and for protesting denied claims, while ensuring the exemption applies only to the highest disability percentage among qualifying owners. It does not change the exemption amount or eligibility criteria but makes the current system clearer and easier to navigate for veterans and local assessors.

Topics ✓ Veterans

Bill results