SB 159 requires the University of New Mexico's Board of Regents to provide $27 million in state funds over fiscal years 2027-2029 to cover unreimbursed costs for eligible healthcare facilities hosting medical residency programs. Eligible entities include federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, independent psychiatric facilities, and critical access hospitals that sponsor accredited residency programs in New Mexico. The funding covers resident salaries, supervising physician costs, accreditation, and program administration, with priority given to New Mexico residents. Unspent funds by the end of 2029 will revert to the state general fund.
HB 114 appropriates $1 million from the general fund to expand New Mexico's Double Up Food Bucks program for fiscal year 2027. The bill directly helps SNAP participants by doubling their purchasing power for meat, nuts, eggs, and fresh fruits/vegetables at New Mexico farmers' markets. It requires the Board of Regents of New Mexico State University to manage the funds, with any unspent balance reverting to the general fund by year-end. This concrete funding increase aims to increase access to fresh, healthy food for low-income residents at local farmers' markets.
SB 173 expands the types of medical malpractice insurance health care providers in New Mexico can use to meet qualification requirements under the Medical Malpractice Act. It directly affects hospitals, outpatient facilities, and independent providers by removing the current limitation that restricted them to only claims-made or occurrence-based policies. The key provision amends Section 41-5-5 to allow providers to qualify using "any form of malpractice insurance" instead of the previous two options. This change simplifies insurance choices for providers without altering coverage amounts or financial responsibility rules. The bill does not change existing requirements for minimum coverage ($250,000 per claim for most providers) or surcharges.
SB 106 allocates $5 million from New Mexico's general fund to the Higher Education Department for fiscal year 2027 to support graduate scholarships under the Graduate Scholarship Act. This funding directly benefits New Mexico graduate students pursuing advanced degrees by providing financial assistance through the state's scholarship program. The bill specifies that any unspent funds at the end of fiscal year 2027 must return to the general fund. The legislation is currently moving forward after passing committee review in the Senate.
HB 88 changes how funds from New Mexico's Land Grant-Merced Assistance Fund are distributed to eligible land grant communities. It raises the revenue threshold for full annual distributions from $50,000 to $100,000, creating new tiers: 75% distribution for $100,000-$250,000 revenue, 50% for $250,000-$500,000, and 25% for $500,000+ revenue. The bill also makes the fund "nonreverting," meaning undistributed funds no longer return to the general state fund. These changes directly affect land grant communities that meet compliance requirements, including having elected boards and audit certifications.
SB 107 appropriates $20 million from the general fund annually to fund after-school and enrichment programs for school-age youth across New Mexico. The bill allocates $10 million specifically for school districts, charter schools, Bureau of Indian Education schools, and tribally controlled schools, and $10 million for nonprofit community organizations providing such programs. Unspent funds at year-end will not revert to the general fund, ensuring ongoing support for these services. This bill directly affects students in public schools and community-based programs by expanding access to structured out-of-school time activities.
SB 87 creates a 5-year "Opioid Addiction Prevention Pilot Project" in New Mexico focused on reducing unnecessary opioid prescriptions after surgery. The bill requires the Department of Health to contract with a qualified third party to implement nurse navigation services - clinically-led, personalized pain management coaching and education for surgical patients and providers - to improve pain control while lowering opioid use. It appropriates $9 million from the opioid crisis recovery fund (2026-2031) for this project, with annual reports to legislative committees tracking surgical cases covered and opioids avoided. The pilot directly affects surgical patients, hospitals, and healthcare providers by changing post-surgery pain management protocols.
This constitutional amendment (HJR 7) proposes changing New Mexico's legislative session rules. It would limit regular sessions in even-numbered years to 30 days and restrict those sessions to only consider budgets, appropriations, revenue bills, and bills from the governor's special messages - plus veto overrides from prior sessions within the same two-year period. The amendment requires voter approval at the next general election and would not affect how odd-year sessions operate (which may last 60 days). As a procedural change to the state constitution, it directly impacts legislative process, not specific policies or affected groups.
SB 118 increases the price limits for New Mexico's back-to-school tax holiday, allowing families to buy more items tax-free during the annual sales period. It raises the clothing price limit from $100 to $150 (excluding athletic wear and accessories) and the computer limit from $1,000 to $1,500 (including associated items up to $750). The bill affects shoppers purchasing qualifying school supplies, clothing, and computers between July 1 and the following Sunday. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, and apply to all eligible items sold during the designated tax holiday window.
HB 169 appropriates $250,000 from the general fund to the University of New Mexico's Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies for two main purposes in fiscal year 2027. It provides year-round scholarships prioritizing New Mexico residents from rural, tribal, indigenous, or underserved communities - especially those planning to offer culturally rooted healing services in the state - and funds statewide outreach including workshops, courses, and collaboration with tribal governments and rural communities. The bill also requires the department to research and develop new curanderismo (traditional medicine) courses to address New Mexico's cultural and health needs. Unspent funds at year-end will revert to the general fund. This bill directly affects UNM students, community health educators, and New Mexico communities through educational and health programming.
This constitutional amendment (HJR 6) proposes changing New Mexico's legislative session structure. It would divide each biennium into two regular sessions (max 45 days each), starting the first session on the second Tuesday of January. The bill specifies that odd-numbered years would handle all bills, while even-numbered years would focus only on budgets/appropriations and bills from gubernatorial special messages. It also allows veto overrides for bills from any session within the same biennium. As a procedural change, it requires voter approval at the next general election.
SB 52 (PERA Cost-of-Living Adjustments) changes how cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are calculated for New Mexico public retirement pension recipients. It requires that starting July 1, 2027, pension increases equal the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) COLA rate determined by the federal government each year, instead of the previous method. This directly affects retirees who meet specific duration requirements (e.g., retired for 2 years, or age 65+ for 1 year), as well as survivor beneficiaries. The bill appropriates $50 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2027 to fund these adjustments, with unspent funds carrying forward to future years.
