New Mexico Bills

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 21, 2025

HB 12: EXTREME RISK FIREARM PROTECTION ORDER CHANGES

HB 12 modifies New Mexico's Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order (ERPO) law to streamline safety measures. It allows law enforcement officers to file ERPO petitions using credible information gathered during official duties (not just from reporting parties), and requires respondents to immediately surrender all firearms upon receiving the order - replacing the previous 48-hour window. The bill directly affects individuals subject to ERPOs and law enforcement officers handling these cases. Key provisions include mandating immediate firearm relinquishment, requiring detailed documentation of firearms and circumstances, and ensuring timely receipt copies for respondents and petitioners. These changes aim to expedite safety protocols while maintaining legal safeguards.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · New Mexico · Senate Mar 21, 2025

SB 417: CONFIRMATORY ADOPTIONS

SB 417 establishes a new legal process called "confirmatory adoption" for parents of children born through assisted reproduction, such as in vitro fertilization or donor eggs/sperm. This allows intended parents to formally confirm their parentage and obtain a court-ordered adoption judgment without the typical requirements of a standard adoption. The bill amends New Mexico's Adoption Act and Uniform Parentage Act to create this specific procedure, directly affecting intended parents who used assisted reproduction services. It streamlines the legal recognition of parental rights for these families by providing a dedicated pathway to formal adoption.

signed · New Mexico · Senate Mar 21, 2025

SB 175: CHILD CARE FACILITY LOAN FUND CHANGES

SB 175 amends New Mexico's Child Care Facility Revolving Loan Fund to allow loans for employers creating or expanding child care programs for their own employees, in addition to existing loans for child care providers. It requires employers receiving such loans to operate in designated child care deserts, serve at least 50% of children using subsidized care programs, and increase capacity by 10% within five years. The bill maintains existing priorities for providers serving low-income families in high-poverty areas and limits single-provider loans to 20% of the fund. This expands the fund's use beyond facility improvements to support employer-sponsored child care as a new mechanism for increasing access.

signed · New Mexico · Senate Mar 21, 2025

SJM 2: FRONTIER AREAS TASK FORCE

SJM 2 is a non-binding request to the Governor to appoint a task force to study the needs of New Mexico's frontier areas - unincorporated, sparsely populated regions often lacking access to basic services. The task force, including state agencies and community representatives, will assess current services and infrastructure, review relevant laws, and evaluate a community-operated infrastructure network model to improve service delivery through shared resources like water, internet, and transportation. It will specifically examine how to replace volunteer-dependent systems with paid staff and identify state funding or policy changes to support frontier communities. The task force must provide a final report by November 1, 2025, with recommendations for enhancing services in these areas.

Topics ✓ Technology

signed · New Mexico · Senate Mar 21, 2025

SJM 1: FOREST RESTORATION & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

SJM 1 is a Senate Joint Memorial requesting New Mexico's Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and Economic Development Department to jointly study how to accelerate forest restoration through economic development. The study will identify missing business opportunities, cost-reduction strategies for moving wood byproducts, successful models from other states, and ways to leverage existing programs to create markets for wood products. This would help reduce wildfire risks by making forest thinning more economically viable, directly affecting state departments and potentially wood processing businesses, communities, and forest management efforts. The departments must report findings by September 2025, but the memorial itself does not enact new laws or funding.

Topics ✓ Environment

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 21, 2025

HB 197: EXPAND "SILVER ALERT" DEFINITION

HB 197 expands New Mexico's "Silver Alert" system to include missing persons of any age showing signs of cognitive decline or impairment, not just those with Alzheimer's or dementia. This change directly affects law enforcement and families reporting missing adults who may have conditions like dementia, brain injuries, or other cognitive issues, regardless of age. The key mechanism updates the legal definition in the Missing Persons Information and Reporting Act to trigger alerts when a reporter believes an individual displays symptoms of cognitive decline. This makes the alert system more inclusive for vulnerable adults beyond the current age-based or dementia-specific criteria. The bill was signed into law after passing both legislative chambers in March 2025.

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 21, 2025

HB 214: DOULA CREDENTIALING & ACCESS ACT

HB 214 establishes a voluntary credentialing system for doulas in New Mexico, allowing them to enroll as Medicaid providers. It requires the Health Department to create rules for education, training, and ethics standards, and forms a 15-member advisory council to ensure equitable access for underserved communities. The bill mandates hospitals and birth centers to develop policies permitting credentialed doulas to support patients during pregnancy and the first 12 months postpartum. Additionally, it creates a Doula Fund and requires annual reporting on service access and outcomes.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 21, 2025

HB 5: OFFICE OF CHILD ADVOCATE ACT

HB 5 creates a new independent Office of Child Advocate in New Mexico to oversee child welfare services. It establishes a State Child Advocate position appointed by the governor (with a six-year term), selected by a nine-member committee with diverse expertise including foster care experience and Indian Child Welfare knowledge. The office will review services provided to children in foster care, group homes, or juvenile facilities, handle complaints via a toll-free hotline, and ensure policies protect children's rights. The bill was enacted after passing the legislature and being signed into law on March 21, 2025.

signed · New Mexico · Senate Mar 20, 2025

SB 199: ADMINISTRATION OF LOCAL DWI GRANT PROGRAM

SB 199 increases the maximum annual amount that can be spent on administering New Mexico's Local DWI Grant Program from $600,000 to $1.1 million. This change directly affects all counties and municipalities receiving DWI grant funds by allowing more resources to cover program administration costs. The bill amends existing law (Section 11-6A-3) to adjust the administrative spending cap while keeping all other funding formulas and program requirements unchanged. It does not alter how grant funds are distributed to communities for DWI prevention, treatment, or domestic abuse programs related to substance abuse.

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 20, 2025

HB 47: VETERAN PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS

HB 47 amends New Mexico's property tax exemptions for veterans, increasing the maximum annual exemption from $4,000 to $10,000 starting in 2026, with future adjustments for inflation. It directly affects New Mexico veterans and their unmarried surviving spouses who own property as their primary residence, expanding eligibility to include those discharged due to service-connected disability. The bill updates exemption amounts to reflect a 2024 constitutional amendment and requires annual inflation adjustments using the Consumer Price Index. This change applies to property tax calculations for qualifying veterans, with the increased exemption amount taking effect in tax year 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Veterans

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 20, 2025

HB 161: STATE PARK DAY PASSES FOR VETERANS

HB 161 provides New Mexico resident veterans who served in the U.S. armed forces, reserves, or public health service (with minimum service requirements) with free state park access. It grants one annual day-use pass for unlimited entry into state parks and recreation areas, plus one annual camping pass for unlimited use of state park camping facilities. The law, now signed into effect, requires veterans to provide proof of service to the state parks division but does not mandate disability verification. This policy directly benefits eligible veterans by removing entry and camping fees at New Mexico's state parks.

Topics ✓ Veterans

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 20, 2025

HB 175: FOREST & WATERSHED BUFFER PROJECTS

HB 175 amends New Mexico's Forest and Watershed Restoration Act to make projects creating or maintaining "buffers" (treated areas reducing wildfire fuel) in wildland-urban interfaces eligible for funding. These buffers act as barriers between homes and forests to limit wildfire spread and create safer zones for firefighters. The bill specifically adds this type of project to the list of eligible uses for the Forest Land Protection Revolving Fund, which previously supported broader restoration efforts. It directly affects communities in fire-prone areas where homes meet undeveloped land, providing a new funding pathway for wildfire prevention infrastructure.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

Bill results