House Memorial 65 requests New Mexico's Department of Health and Public Safety to create a task force focused on researching firearm safety policies to reduce gun violence in the state. The task force will examine specific areas like firearm licensing, magazine restrictions, and links between alcohol misuse and gun violence, including policies for prohibiting firearm access based on prior offenses. It will include health officials, law enforcement, schools, community groups, and tribal representatives, and must submit findings to lawmakers by September 2026. This is a procedural resolution (not a law) seeking research and recommendations, not implementing new policies.
This Senate Memorial (SM 26) requests the New Mexico Senate formally support utilities participating in **voluntary energy markets** as a step toward regional grid coordination. It directly affects New Mexico's electricity utilities and their customers by encouraging participation in regional energy markets to improve grid reliability and potentially lower costs. The key mechanism is the Senate’s endorsement of this approach under Public Regulation Commission oversight, aiming to advance state energy transition goals while maintaining transparency and accountability. (Note: This is a non-binding memorial, not a bill.)
SB 274 is a legislative bill introduced in the New Mexico Senate in 2026 that addresses public peace, health, safety, and welfare. The bill was referred to Senate committees, declared germane, and then replaced with a committee substitute before its action was postponed indefinitely. As a procedural measure currently under review, it does not yet contain specific policy provisions or direct impacts on the public. The bill remains in the committee stage with no enacted changes at this time.
HB 287 redesignates the Health and Human Services Committee as a permanent body with 12 members (up from 8), requiring balanced party representation from both legislative chambers. It mandates year-round staff with expertise in health, human services, and policy, and grants the committee subpoena power to compel testimony or documents from state agencies, contractors, and entities receiving state funding. The bill also modifies reporting rules, requiring agencies to provide requested information to legislators and file reports with the legislative council service. This changes how the committee operates, affecting state agencies, contractors, and the legislature's oversight capacity.
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.
This Senate Memorial (SM 5) requests New Mexico's governor to designate May 2026 as "Better Hearing and Speech Month" in the state. It highlights that communication disorders affect over 14 million Americans and one in ten New Mexico families, emphasizing the need for accessible treatment and support. The resolution specifically asks the governor to make this designation and directs copies to the governor and the New Mexico Speech-Language and Hearing Association. As a commemorative resolution, it does not create new laws or policies but aims to raise awareness about speech, language, and hearing needs.
HB 149 expands access to facility financing for New Mexico charter schools by amending the New Mexico Finance Authority Act. It allows the state finance authority to provide loans from the Charter School Facility Revolving Fund to nonprofit foundations or support organizations affiliated with charter schools - previously limited to schools themselves. The bill also requires charter schools to receive the maximum available grant from the Public School Capital Outlay Fund for lease assistance and caps their local contribution to capital projects at 10%. These changes directly affect charter schools and their affiliated nonprofit groups by improving their ability to secure funding for facility construction, renovation, or lease-purchase agreements.
House Memorial 12, introduced by Rep. Elizabeth Thomson, requests the Governor designate May 2026 as "Better Hearing and Speech Month" in New Mexico. The memorial highlights that communication disorders affect one in ten New Mexico families and emphasizes the role of speech and hearing professionals in providing treatment. This non-binding resolution aims to raise awareness about these conditions and support for affected individuals and their families.
House Memorial 10, introduced by Representative Yanira Gurrola, requests the Legislative Education Study Committee to review how New Mexico school districts implement human sexuality education standards. The committee must evaluate current practices across districts and identify improvements to ensure students receive medically accurate, comprehensive education on sexual health, contraception, and relationships. The review will culminate in a report with recommendations for legislative action by December 1, 2026. This procedural request does not change existing standards but aims to address inconsistent access to evidence-based education for students.
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.
SB 50 removes annual in-service training requirements for certified police officers and telecommunicators in New Mexico. It specifically eliminates the need for yearly refreshers on topics like domestic abuse incident training, child abuse incident training, mental health interaction, crisis de-escalation, and trauma kit use that were previously mandated under existing law. The bill retains basic training requirements but reduces the frequency of mandatory annual updates for officers and telecommunicators. This directly affects all certified law enforcement personnel and public safety telecommunicators statewide. The change streamlines training obligations without altering the core curriculum content for initial certification.
This House Memorial requests the Legislative Finance Committee to form a task force to study whether New Mexico should amend its constitution to make the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) an independent executive department, separate from the Governor's office. The study would examine creating an independent commission to hire CYFD's executive director, addressing current challenges like a 25.4% vacancy rate, high child maltreatment rates (12.6 per 1,000 children vs. a national average of 7.4), and failed federal funding plans. It would evaluate potential benefits, costs, and lessons from other states' commission structures. The memorial itself does not change policy - it only seeks a study before pursuing a constitutional amendment.
