New Mexico Bills

in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HJM 1: STRENGTHENING RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN

This joint memorial (HJM 1) expresses New Mexico's legislative support for strengthening ties between Taiwan and both the U.S. and New Mexico. It specifically encourages cooperation in trade, technology, education, and Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations like the WHO and UN climate talks. The memorial calls for creating a "New Mexico-Taiwan friendship caucus" to coordinate regular official exchanges, trade missions, and academic partnerships. It directs New Mexico’s economic agencies and universities to develop joint programs with Taiwan, aligning with U.S. policy on Taiwan engagement.

Topics ✓ Technology

in committee · New Mexico · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 6: NEW SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FACILITY

SB 6 appropriates $546.6 million from New Mexico's general fund to the University of New Mexico's board of regents for constructing, equipping, and furnishing a new School of Medicine facility. The funds are allocated for fiscal years 2027 through 2030, with any unspent balance reverting to the general fund by 2030. This bill directly affects the University of New Mexico by enabling the physical development of its medical school infrastructure. It is a funding measure, not a policy change, and specifies concrete financial and timeline details for the construction project.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 193: SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PRIVATE ED & TAX CREDITS

HB 193 creates a scholarship program allowing school tuition organizations to award financial aid to low-income students attending private schools in New Mexico, while establishing tax credits for donors. It directly affects low-income families (defined by federal lunch program income standards) who choose private schools, provided students previously attended a public or home school in New Mexico. Key mechanisms include requiring organizations to allocate 90% of funds to scholarships, prohibiting single-school restrictions, mandating annual financial reports, and requiring audits for organizations receiving $500,000+ in donations. The bill also creates individual and corporate income tax credits for contributions to these scholarship organizations, with strict transparency rules for public reporting.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 68: HEALTH CARE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM FUNDING

HB 68 allocates $2 million from the general fund to New Mexico's Workforce Solutions Department for a healthcare recruitment program in fiscal year 2027. This funding directly supports efforts to attract healthcare workers to the state, primarily benefiting healthcare facilities and providers facing staffing shortages. The bill specifies that any unspent funds at year-end must return to the general fund, ensuring fiscal accountability. The program aims to strengthen healthcare workforce availability without altering existing regulations or creating new requirements.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 182: VIOLATION OF CURFEW AS DELINQUENT ACT

HB 182 reclassifies violating a local curfew ordinance as a "delinquent act" under New Mexico's juvenile justice system. This change directly affects minors (children under 18) who break curfews set by county or municipal governments. The bill amends the state's Delinquency Act to explicitly include curfew violations in the list of actions that qualify as delinquent acts, alongside other offenses like alcohol possession or minor traffic violations. This means curfew breaches would now be handled through juvenile court processes rather than potentially being treated as minor infractions. The policy change does not alter existing curfew laws but shifts how violations are categorized and addressed.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 181: REPORTING ON CHILDREN STAYING IN CYFD OFFICES

HB 181 requires New Mexico's Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) to report on children in their custody who stay overnight in CYFD offices. The bill appropriates $100,000 to fund weekly reports to the Office of Child Advocate and monthly reports to three legislative committees, detailing the number of children, reasons for overnight stays, duration, and current status. It does not change placement policies but mandates regular data collection on this specific practice. The reporting obligation applies to fiscal years 2027-2028, with unspent funds reverting to the general fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · New Mexico · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 146: CIVIL RIGHTS ACT CLAIM CHANGES

SB 146 amends New Mexico's Civil Rights Act to change how people can sue government entities for rights violations. It directly affects residents who claim government actions violated their constitutional rights, such as police misconduct or school policies. Key changes include: reducing the maximum total damages from $2 million to $750,000 per incident (with separate limits for property, medical costs, and other damages), shortening the filing deadline from 3 to 2 years, requiring written notice before suing, and banning double recovery from both this act and the Tort Claims Act. The bill also removes punitive damages and clarifies that government employees can't sue under this act for job-related issues.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

died · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 74: HABITUAL OFFENDER STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

HB 74 removes the ten-year time limit for counting prior felony convictions toward habitual offender sentencing in New Mexico. Currently, only convictions within ten years of the current offense count; this bill changes that so any prior felony conviction, regardless of when it occurred, can be used to increase sentences. It directly affects noncapital felony offenders with prior convictions, potentially increasing their sentences by 1, 4, or 8 years based on the number of prior offenses. The bill modifies the legal definition of "prior felony conviction" in sentencing law but does not change the sentencing structure itself.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

died · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 58: TELEPHONE CRIMES

HB 58 updates New Mexico's harassment law to cover modern digital communications, expanding the definition of "telephone" to include texts, social media posts, emails, and instant messages. It makes it illegal to use these platforms to send obscene, threatening, or harassing messages with intent to terrify or annoy, or to repeatedly disturb someone's peace through anonymous digital contact. Penalties range from a misdemeanor for first offenses to a fourth-degree felony for repeat violations. The law directly affects individuals who use digital means to harass others, aligning penalties with where the communication originated or was received.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✓ Technology

died · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 73: SENTENCE DEFERMENT FOR REPEAT OFFENDER

HB 73 allows New Mexico courts to defer or suspend up to two-thirds of the basic sentence for defendants convicted of a second or third-degree felony who have prior felony convictions. It directly affects repeat felony offenders by giving judges flexibility to reduce sentence execution while still requiring consideration of mitigating or aggravating factors. The bill amends existing sentencing law to specify that courts may suspend no more than 66.7% of the sentence for these repeat offenders, without altering the full sentencing range. This change applies only to second or third-degree felony cases with prior felony convictions, not first-degree offenses or non-repeat offenders. The bill is currently pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · New Mexico · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 83: ACCELERATING RESILIENCE INNOVATIONS DRYLANDS

SB 83 appropriates $1.937 million from the general fund to the University of New Mexico's Accelerating Resilience Innovations in Drylands Institute for fiscal year 2027. The funding supports ecological monitoring of New Mexico's air, land, and water; develops an AI-powered statewide network to predict ecosystem vulnerabilities (including fire risk); creates resilience strategies for sustainable resource management; continues K-12 STEM education partnerships; and enhances tribal research collaboration. This bill directly affects the University of New Mexico, its research partners, K-12 schools, and tribal communities through these specific programs. The funding is limited to 2027, with unspent balances reverting to the general fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Environment ✓ Technology

in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 90: HEALTH CARE PRECEPTOR INCOME TAX CREDIT

HB 90 creates a $1,000 annual income tax credit for licensed health care professionals in New Mexico who provide unpaid clinical training (preceptorships) to graduate students seeking eligible health care degrees. It directly affects licensed doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and other health professionals who mentor students at New Mexico colleges or universities. To qualify, preceptors must complete at least 120 hours of training under an accredited institution, with the credit requiring institution certification and applying only to the year of service. Unused portions of the credit can be carried forward to future tax years. The credit applies to taxable years beginning January 1, 2026, and targets health care education support rather than broader policy changes.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

Bill results