New Mexico Bills | MyRepTracker

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 100: INDEBTEDNESS LIMIT OF ARROYO FLOOD CONTROL

SB 100 increases the maximum allowable debt for the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority from $80 million to $120 million. This change directly affects the authority, allowing it to borrow more money for flood control infrastructure projects without needing additional voter approval for amounts up to the new limit. The key provision modifies the existing statute (Section 72-16-44) to raise the debt ceiling, requiring state legislative approval only if the authority exceeds $120 million in outstanding debt. The bill became effective July 1, 2025, after passing the legislature and being signed into law.

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 169: STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SITE READINESS

SB 169 creates a framework to certify sites ready for immediate economic development in New Mexico. It requires the economic development department to conduct site characterization studies assessing infrastructure, environment, workforce, and other factors, then recommend sites for certification to a new advisory committee. The committee - comprising state agency representatives and public experts - reviews sites, recommends designations, and advises on funding for pre-development work like environmental remediation, infrastructure upgrades, and permitting. Once certified, sites become eligible for grants or loans from the new "site readiness fund" to cover costs before construction begins, directly supporting developers and local governments preparing land for business growth.

signed · New Mexico · House Apr 8, 2025

HM 2: LESC ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WORK GROUP

This House Memorial (HM 2) requests the Legislative Education Study Committee to form a work group focused on education data governance and artificial intelligence. The work group will include state agencies (like Public Education, Higher Education, and Tribal departments), school leaders, educators, students, tribal representatives, and AI/data experts. It will study key issues including improving data quality across education systems, ensuring responsible AI use in schools, protecting student data privacy, and addressing unique needs of New Mexico communities. The group aims to develop recommendations for better data policies and AI integration, but the memorial itself does not create new laws. This is a procedural step to coordinate existing data efforts, not a policy change.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Technology

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 113: BOARD & COMMISSION SUNSET DATES

SB 113 extends the operational deadlines for five New Mexico regulatory boards and commissions by delaying their sunset dates from 2025 to 2031. This allows the Board of Nursing Home Administrators, Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists, Board of Landscape Architects, Coal Surface Mining Commission, and Water Quality Control Commission to continue operating under existing laws until July 1, 2032. The bill specifically amends each board's governing statute to extend their termination date and postpones the repeal of their respective enabling acts until 2032. These changes directly affect the professionals regulated by these boards (such as nurses, cosmetologists, landscape architects, and mining operators) and the agencies managing their licensing. The bill does not alter the boards' current regulatory authority but provides a temporary extension of their operational period.

Topics ✓ Environment

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 481: STATE FAIRGROUNDS DISTRICT ACT

SB 481 creates the State Fairgrounds District, a new political subdivision governing the state-owned fairgrounds property in Albuquerque and adjacent land. The district can issue up to $1 billion in bonds to fund projects like facility development and public infrastructure, using revenue from gross receipts tax and gaming tax distributions from businesses on the fairgrounds. It establishes a five-member board (including the governor, mayor, and county commissioner) to manage the district’s finances and operations. This bill directly affects the state fairgrounds’ development, local businesses operating there, and the allocation of tax revenues to fund improvements.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · New Mexico · House Apr 8, 2025

HB 251: ED. RETIREMENT BENEFICIARY CHANGES

HB 251 allows retired educators in New Mexico to change their designated beneficiary for retirement payments under specific conditions. It enables retired members who initially chose a spouse as a beneficiary (Option B or C) to update this designation once, either to another person or to end the beneficiary arrangement (resulting in full payment without reduction). To make this change, retirees must pay a $100 fee, obtain spouse consent if switching from a spouse beneficiary, or secure court approval. This update applies only to those with a living beneficiary designated under Options B or C, streamlining beneficiary changes without retroactive adjustments.

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 274: BOARD OF FINANCE APPROVAL FOR LAND SALES

SB 274 raises the value threshold requiring State Board of Finance approval for sales, trades, or leases of property by New Mexico state agencies, local public bodies, and school districts. The bill increases the current resale value threshold from $5,000 to $30,000, meaning transactions under this new limit no longer need Board approval. This change applies to both real and tangible personal property disposal, streamlining processes for lower-value transactions. The policy directly affects state/local entities managing public property by reducing administrative hurdles for routine sales. The bill amends existing statutes (Sections 13-6-1 and 13-6-2 NMSA 1978) to implement this threshold adjustment.

signed · New Mexico · House Apr 8, 2025

HM 10: "VALENCIA COUNTY DAY"

This memorial declares February 6, 2025, as "Valencia County Day" in the New Mexico House of Representatives to honor the county's cultural heritage and economic contributions. It does not create legal requirements or affect policies, but symbolically recognizes Valencia County's history (including Spanish land grants, Route 66, and the world's largest *matanza*), modern growth (with employers like Meta and Amazon), and landmarks like the Belen Harvey House Museum. The resolution will be shared with local mayors and county officials. As a commemorative measure, it has no binding effect on state law or funding.

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 115: PUBLIC PROJECT REVOLVING FUND PROJECTS

SB 115 authorizes the New Mexico Finance Authority to provide loans from the Public Project Revolving Fund for infrastructure and public facility projects. It directly affects 29 specific local entities, including cities (like Albuquerque, Carlsbad, and Clovis), school districts (such as Alamogordo and Bloomfield), counties (like Bernalillo), and public improvement districts across New Mexico. The bill streamlines the process by allowing loans of $1 million or less without requiring separate legislative approval, covering projects like roads, water systems, schools, and public recreational facilities. It establishes a funding mechanism but does not create new policy or alter existing laws.

Topics ✓ Transportation

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 219: MEDICAL PSILOCYBIN ACT

SB 219, the Medical Psilocybin Act, allows regulated medical use of psilocybin (a compound found in certain mushrooms) to treat specific conditions including treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, substance use disorders, and end-of-life care. It removes psilocybin from New Mexico's controlled substances list for medical purposes, creating a program overseen by the Department of Health that requires clinicians and producers to obtain permits and follow safety protocols. The bill establishes an advisory board to help develop treatment guidelines and provides legal protections, exempting authorized use from criminal penalties while prohibiting use while driving under its influence. Qualified patients must be diagnosed with an approved condition by a licensed clinician within an approved setting, with the Department of Health required to implement the program by December 2027.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 155: DETERMINATION OF EMBEZZLEMENT PENALTY

SB 155 changes how New Mexico calculates penalties for embezzlement - when someone intentionally takes property entrusted to them - by allowing courts to combine multiple small incidents over a 12-month period. Instead of treating each embezzlement as separate, courts will add up the total value taken within any consecutive 12 months. Penalties then increase based on the total amount: under $250 is a petty misdemeanor, $250-$500 is a misdemeanor, $500-$2,500 is a fourth-degree felony, $2,500-$20,000 is a third-degree felony, and over $20,000 is a second-degree felony. This affects anyone convicted of embezzlement in New Mexico, altering how courts determine sentencing severity.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

signed · New Mexico · Senate Apr 8, 2025

SB 401: BROADBAND FOR EDUCATION

SB 401 creates a new Education Technology Infrastructure Fund to provide up to $10 million annually in state bonds for public school technology infrastructure. It directly affects New Mexico public schools by funding broadband access and connectivity improvements through the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion. The bill authorizes the Office to certify annual funding needs, with proceeds from supplemental severance tax bonds allocated to the new fund. It transfers existing broadband programs from the Public School Facilities Authority to the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion to streamline implementation.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Technology