SB 80 amends New Mexico's Family Violence Protection Act by expanding and updating the legal definition of "abuse" (replacing "domestic abuse"). The bill adds specific examples to the definition, including digital harassment, harm to animals, threats about immigration status, unauthorized sharing of private images, and harm to children. It explicitly clarifies that courts may include provisions protecting a victim's animals in orders of protection. This change directly affects victims seeking protection orders, courts issuing those orders, and law enforcement handling domestic violence cases under the updated definition.
SB 69 requires most vehicles in New Mexico to display registration plates on both the front and rear, replacing the previous practice where front plates were optional for many vehicles. It specifically applies to standard passenger vehicles, with exceptions for motorcycles, trailers, tractors, and off-highway vehicles (which only need rear plates). The bill clarifies that plates must be securely mounted at least 12 inches from the ground and remain clearly visible, prohibiting expired or unauthorized plates. Violations are classified as misdemeanor offenses. This is a procedural update to existing vehicle registration rules, not a new fee or substantive policy change.
SJR 2 proposes a constitutional amendment to New Mexico that would limit state legislators to a maximum of 12 years of total service in either the Senate or House of Representatives. It also creates an independent citizen commission (with nine members, no more than four from the same political party) to set and adjust legislative salaries every four years, starting with a report due by October 2029 for implementation in July 2030. The amendment requires voter approval at the next general election and would replace current per diem and mileage payments with a salary determined by the commission. This directly affects all current and future New Mexico legislators by changing term limits and compensation structures.
SB 65 requires New Mexico school districts (including charter schools) to create written policies for managing public school libraries, ensuring fair access to books and materials. It prohibits schools from removing library resources based on protected characteristics like race, gender, or sexual orientation, and mandates a strict process for any removal requests - including requiring written decisions, limiting removals to once every two years, and reviewing entire resources, not just parts. School librarians and staff are protected from retaliation for following these policies or refusing to remove materials before a formal decision is made. This bill directly affects school districts, library staff, and students/parents who may request changes to library collections.
HB 143 expands tax credits for healthcare providers working in New Mexico's rural underserved areas. It increases the rural health care practitioner tax credit to $15,000 annually for physicians/dentists/optometrists (requiring 1,584+ hours of service) and $9,000 for other providers like nurses, pharmacists, and therapists. The bill also creates a new Medical Residency Loan Repayment Act to award loan repayment assistance to qualifying medical residents and fellows. These provisions directly target healthcare professionals in rural communities to improve provider recruitment and retention.
HB 83 requires New Mexico's Health Care Authority to set minimum Medicaid reimbursement rates for personal care services: $23.50 per hour for consumer-delegated care and $19.78 per hour for consumer-directed care. It mandates that personal care service agencies using Medicaid funds must spend at least 70% of the reimbursement on direct care worker costs, including wages, benefits, training, and supervision. The bill defines "direct care workforce expenditures" to cover all employee-related expenses and requires agencies to maintain records for audits. A $51.4 million appropriation from the general fund supports this fee schedule update for fiscal year 2027. This directly affects agencies providing Medicaid-covered personal care services to individuals needing assistance with daily living activities.
HB 78 allows parties to reference sealed juvenile records in specific legal proceedings. It permits referring to the existence and contents of sealed juvenile records in written pleadings for pretrial detention hearings, release condition hearings, or sentencing hearings related to felony charges. This exception applies only when the court has prior notice and is limited to those exact proceedings. The bill does not change the general rule that sealed records should be treated as if they never existed. It directly affects prosecutors, defense attorneys, and courts handling felony cases where a defendant has a sealed juvenile history.
HB 133, the General Appropriation Act of 2026, allocates state funds for fiscal year 2027 to all New Mexico state agencies, departments, and programs. It establishes rules for managing these funds, including requiring unspent balances from fiscal year 2026 or 2027 to revert to the general fund unless otherwise specified. The bill also defines key budget terms like "general fund" and "internal service funds" to standardize financial reporting across state agencies. As a procedural budget bill, it focuses on funding mechanisms rather than policy changes affecting citizens.
SB 94 requires individuals convicted of specific domestic violence offenses - including assault, battery, and related crimes under New Mexico law - to complete a domestic violence offender treatment program approved by the Children, Youth and Families Department. The bill applies directly to people sentenced for offenses listed in Sections 30-3-12 through 30-3-16 of the state code, such as assault against a household member or aggravated battery. Key provisions mandate treatment participation upon conviction and specify that violating probation terms (e.g., failing treatment) allows courts to impose the full original sentence without counting time served on probation. The bill aims to address domestic violence through structured intervention while tightening consequences for probation violations.
HB 105 allows New Mexico courts to extend juvenile commitments or probation for delinquent children up to age 25, instead of the previous maximum age limits. This directly affects minors adjudicated delinquent under specific provisions of state law, particularly those found guilty of certain offenses (like those listed in Section 32A-2-3). The bill amends court procedures to grant judges discretion to set dispositions lasting until the child turns 25, rather than ending at age 21 or earlier. It does not change the types of dispositions (like short-term or long-term commitments) but expands the maximum duration for court-ordered supervision or placement. The bill is currently pre-filed and awaiting committee review.
HB 102 would tie New Mexico legislators' pay to the state's median household income, setting initial compensation based on the 2027 median income (to be reported in 2028) and adjusting it every four years using the latest available data. Legislators could choose to refuse their compensation or any future increases by submitting a written notice to the chief clerk, and they could later withdraw that refusal without retroactive pay. The bill clarifies that legislators receiving this compensation are not considered state employees for any purpose.
SB 90 defines "credible threat" in New Mexico's domestic violence law as any situation causing reasonable fear for physical safety based on statements, acts, or conduct - not requiring actual firearm use. If a court determines a credible threat exists during a domestic violence protection order hearing, it must order the abuser to surrender all firearms and refrain from possessing firearms while the order is active. This directly affects victims of domestic violence and abusers in cases where courts issue protection orders. The bill expands firearm restrictions beyond scenarios involving direct firearm threats, ensuring courts can mandate firearm removal when safety concerns arise.
