This New Mexico House Memorial requests the Public Education Department to study whether teachers could earn master's degree credit for completing specialized training programs (microcredentials) required to advance their teaching licenses. Currently, teachers must earn five microcredentials with 85% scores to move from Level 1 to Level 2 license (or Level 2 to Level 3), but colleges do not grant degree credit for this work. The study will examine potential pathways and barriers, including accreditation requirements, to determine if credit could be offered. The department must report findings to lawmakers by December 2025.
House Memorial 24, introduced by Representative Eleanor Chávez, requests the Legislative Finance Committee to create a task force to study staffing levels at New Mexico's Corrections Department and Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD). The task force will examine current staffing shortages - including vacancy rates exceeding 30% in critical roles - analyze recruitment and retention strategies, and recommend safe staffing levels and necessary policy or funding changes. It will include department staff, union representatives, and legislators, and must deliver a report by December 2025. This memorial does not enact new law but seeks a formal study to address documented understaffing concerns.
This bill (HM 28) is a symbolic memorial declaring March 17, 2025, as "Irish-American Day" within the New Mexico House of Representatives. It does not create new laws or affect residents; instead, it formally recognizes Irish Americans' historical contributions to New Mexico, citing figures like Stephen Kearny, Billy the Kid (born to Irish parents), and artist Georgia O'Keeffe. The resolution directs the House to celebrate Irish-American heritage and sends a copy to the Irish-American Society of New Mexico. As a commemorative measure, it has no regulatory or financial impact.
House Memorial 31 is a non-binding resolution requesting the governor declare a "Citizen Science Day" to recognize community science efforts. It asks state agencies (including education, outdoor recreation, and agriculture departments) to review a working group report on expanding citizen science programs, particularly for youth engagement. The resolution acknowledges New Mexico’s natural resources and the role of initiatives like UNM’s Wild Friends program in collecting environmental data through public participation. It does not create new laws but formally encourages agencies to integrate citizen science into their work.
House Memorial 53 requests New Mexico's Department of Health and Aging and Long-Term Services Department to collaborate with the New Mexico Alzheimer's Association to update public health and healthcare provider education programs using the latest evidence-based research on Alzheimer's disease and brain health. It directs these departments to seek federal funding - particularly through the Federal Administration on Aging's Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative - to support these program updates. The memorial aims to improve public awareness of Alzheimer's risk factors, early detection, and care, and to better equip healthcare providers for the over 46,000 New Mexicans living with the disease.
This House Memorial (HM 42) symbolically recognizes the Virginia opossum (*Didelphis virginiana*) as an important native marsupial in New Mexico. It does not create new laws or directly affect any individuals or policies; instead, it formally acknowledges the opossum's ecological role (such as pest control and disease resistance) and encourages conservation awareness. The resolution was passed by the New Mexico House and signed into memorial status, directing copies to the Environment Secretary and House members. It serves as a ceremonial acknowledgment with no binding legal effect.
This non-binding memorial requests the New Mexico Department of Transportation to consider restoring the musical highway feature on Route 66 in Tijeras Canyon. The musical highway - originally installed in 2014 - uses rumble strips to play "America the Beautiful" when driven over at a specific speed, but now only a small section functions due to disrepair. The memorial highlights this as a unique tourism asset (one of only six globally) and asks the DOT to explore restoration. It does not create new law or funding, merely urging the agency to evaluate the project.
House Memorial 52 requests New Mexico's Economic Development, Tourism, and Taxation departments to create a work group studying short-term rentals' economic impact, taxation, and regulations. The work group must include industry and local government representatives and report findings by December 2025. The memorial also directs county assessors to temporarily halt reclassifying short-term rental properties from residential to nonresidential tax status until the study concludes. This directly affects homeowners and rental operators who rely on short-term rentals for supplemental income and face potential tax changes. The bill does not create new law but mandates a data-driven review before policy changes.
This House Memorial (HM 50) requests the New Mexico Department of Transportation to establish a rest stop and memorial at the entrance to the Trinity Site near Bingham on U.S. Highway 380. It specifically aims to honor "downwinders" - residents of Socorro and Otero counties affected by the 1945 atomic bomb test - who have sought recognition for their sacrifices. The memorial would include a roadside plaque, a dedication ceremony on July 16, 2025 (the 80th anniversary of the test), and invitations to surviving downwinders and their families. As a non-binding memorial resolution, it does not create new law or funding but formally asks the DOT to implement these commemorative measures.
This House Memorial (HM 34) requests the New Mexico Supreme Court to convene a task force to study gaps in legal services for domestic violence victims, particularly low-income individuals. The task force will assess current services, identify shortcomings, and recommend cost-effective programs to improve access to legal support like protection orders. It will include representatives from organizations like the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence, NM Legal Aid, the Supreme Court's access to justice commission, and rural/urban judges. The task force must report findings and recommendations to the courts committee and governor by November 1, 2025. This is a study request, not a law creating new programs.
SB 495 would have established a dedicated nonreverting fund within New Mexico's state treasury to replace equipment at educational television and radio stations operated by state institutions of higher education and public schools. The Higher Education Department would have developed rules for distributing funds via department vouchers, ensuring future appropriations for this purpose wouldn't revert to the general fund without specific language. The bill passed both legislative chambers in March 2025 but received a pocket veto, meaning it did not become law. It directly affected public universities, community colleges, and public schools operating educational broadcast stations.
HB 155 changes qualifications for New Mexico's Gaming Control Board Executive Director by removing the previous limit that capped the director's annual salary at the governor's pay. It also updates the required experience to include "regulatory agency or gaming industry" (removing the "governmental" qualifier). The bill directly affects the Gaming Control Board's leadership position and its hiring process. However, the bill was pocket-vetoed by the governor on April 14, 2025, meaning it did not become law and the salary cap remains in effect.
