New Mexico Bills

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 11, 2025

SB 45: COUNTY HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE FUND USE

SB 45 expands the uses of New Mexico county health care assistance funds to cover health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs (like copayments and deductibles) for indigent patients. This directly affects low-income individuals who qualify as indigent and rely on county health care assistance programs. The bill amends existing law to add these specific coverage options while maintaining previous uses like burial expenses, ambulance transport, and hospital care. It does not change eligibility criteria but broadens the types of health care costs counties can pay for using these dedicated funds.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 11, 2025

SB 124: SUPERINTENDENT OF INSURANCE SUBPOENAS

SB 124 amends New Mexico's Insurance Code to grant the Superintendent of Insurance the explicit authority to issue civil investigative subpoenas during examinations or investigations of potential insurance code violations. This change allows the Superintendent (or designated staff) to compel testimony or document production from individuals or entities under investigation, without first issuing a notice of contemplated action. The bill also clarifies that failure to comply with such a subpoena can be enforced through a court order in district court. This directly affects insurance companies, agents, and other entities subject to the Superintendent's oversight during regulatory investigations.

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 11, 2025

SB 78: CERTIFIED NURSE ANESTHETIST ROLE

SB 78 amends New Mexico law to establish an independent practice role for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), allowing them to provide anesthesia care without direct physician supervision in most settings. This directly affects CRNAs and patients in New Mexico healthcare facilities, removing prior requirements for physician collaboration in anesthesia care. The bill defines "independent role" as performing all anesthesia-related actions (including prescribing certain drugs in emergency, surgical, or perinatal settings) without oversight, while clarifying their prescribing authority based on a board-developed formulary. The law also includes provisions for expedited licensure for CRNAs moving from other states and maintains requirements for national certification and continuing education.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · House Apr 11, 2025

HB 195: SCHOOL NURSE SALARY TIERS & MINIMUMS

HB 195 establishes a tiered salary system for school nurses in New Mexico, aligning minimum salaries with corresponding teacher salary levels (e.g., level one nurses earn the same as level one teachers). It creates three license tiers: level one (provisional for new nurses), level two (experienced), and level three (advanced), requiring annual competency evaluations and mentorship for level one nurses. The bill also adds a "national board certification" program unit, giving school districts extra funding for nurses certified by the National Board for Certification of School Nurses, contingent on districts providing a salary differential. These changes directly affect public school nurses and districts, aiming to improve recruitment and retention through structured compensation and certification incentives.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 11, 2025

SB 23: OIL & GAS ROYALTY RATE CHANGES

SB 23 changes the royalty rate for future oil and gas leases on certain New Mexico state trust lands. It amends lease terms to set a new royalty rate for "Premium" lands issued on or after July 1, 2025, directly affecting oil and gas companies leasing these lands and increasing revenue for trust beneficiaries (like schools and hospitals). The key provision requires lessees to pay this new rate in addition to the existing lease terms for all new development leases on designated trust lands. This policy change specifically targets future leases, not existing ones, to boost state trust land revenue.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✗ Energy

signed · New Mexico · House Apr 11, 2025

HB 91: PUBLIC UTILITY RATE STRUCTURES

HB 91 amends New Mexico's public utility law to allow utilities to propose new rate structures for specific purposes. It specifically permits the Public Regulation Commission to approve rates designed for economic development, retaining existing customers, reducing energy costs for low-income households, decreasing outstanding bills (arrears), and increasing payment frequency to improve service continuity. These changes directly affect utilities (like electricity and gas providers) and low-income customers who may benefit from more affordable service options. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and was signed into law after passing both legislative chambers.

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 11, 2025

SB 47: SANTA CRUZ DE LA CANADA LAND GRANT

SB 47 adds the Santa Cruz de la Canada Land Grant-Merced to the list of land grants governed under New Mexico's Chapter 49, Article 1 statutes. This procedural bill formally includes the Santa Cruz de la Canada community (located in Santa Fe County) under the existing legal framework that applies to other historic land grants. It does not change governance mechanisms but ensures this specific grant is explicitly covered by current state land grant laws. The bill was signed into law after passing both legislative chambers.

vetoed · New Mexico · House Apr 11, 2025

HB 77: ANNUAL FEDERAL SNAP STATE OUTREACH PLANS

HB 77 requires New Mexico's Health Care Authority to create and submit annual state outreach plans each year to promote access to federal SNAP benefits (food assistance). The bill mandates the Authority to seek all available federal matching funds for these plans and allows partnerships with counties, tribes, or nonprofits to develop and implement them. It also specifies that the Authority is exempt from creating a plan if insufficient state, local, or federal funds exist to cover costs. The bill focuses on operational procedures for SNAP outreach, not on changing eligibility or benefit amounts.

vetoed · New Mexico · House Apr 11, 2025

HB 120: ACCESSIBILITY OF STATE AGENCIES

HB 120, the "Accessibility Act," requires all New Mexico state agencies to make their websites, mobile apps, and physical facilities compliant with digital (WCAG 2.1 AA) and physical (ADA) accessibility standards by April 2026. It creates an Office of Accessibility within the governor’s commission on disability to enforce these standards, provide training, and oversee agency compliance through regular reports. The bill directly affects people with disabilities by ensuring equal access to state services and empowers individuals to file lawsuits against non-compliant agencies. The bill passed both legislative chambers in March 2025 but was vetoed by the governor on April 11, 2025, preventing it from becoming law.

Topics ✓ Technology

vetoed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 11, 2025

SB 315: STATE BREAD

SB 315 designates the tortilla as New Mexico's official state bread, amending state law to add it to the list of official state symbols. This procedural bill directly affects New Mexico's state identity by formally recognizing a culturally significant food item as a symbol, without creating new laws or regulations. The key mechanism is an amendment to Section 12-3-4 of the state statutes, which previously listed other symbols like the yucca flower and bizcochito cookie. It does not impact citizens, businesses, or government operations, as it solely establishes a symbolic designation. The bill was passed by both chambers but vetoed in April 2025.

vetoed · New Mexico · House Apr 11, 2025

HB 433: STUDY CAREER & TECH EDUCATION

HB 433 requires New Mexico's Higher Education Department, in collaboration with the Public Education Department, Workforce Solutions Department, and the Legislative Education Study Committee, to study career and technical education (CTE) course availability and instructor compensation. The study must examine course shortages, alignment with industry workforce needs, instructor salary comparisons to other higher education roles, and input from industry employers. It mandates a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations by October 1, 2025, and appropriates $100,000 from the general fund for this purpose. The bill directly affects state education agencies, school districts offering CTE programs, and industry employers providing workforce input.

vetoed · New Mexico · House Apr 11, 2025

HB 181: STATE TRUST PROGRAM ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN

HB 181 requires New Mexico state agencies receiving funds from the Government Results and Opportunity Expendable Trust to submit annual accountability plans detailing program goals, evidence-based practices, performance metrics, and evaluation methods. These plans must be submitted to the Budget Division and Legislative Finance Committee by July 1 each year, including how programs achieve outcomes and evidence of effectiveness. Agencies must also report evaluation results publicly and share final assessment findings by July 15 of the program's final funding year. The bill aims to improve transparency and effectiveness of trust-funded programs through structured reporting. (Note: The bill was vetoed by the Governor on April 11, 2025.)

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill results