This bill appropriates $15 million from the state general fund to the Interstate Stream Commission for riverfront forest (bosque) management projects in the middle Rio Grande valley. The funds will cover planning, implementing, and maintaining these projects during fiscal years 2027 and 2028. Any unspent balance by the end of 2028 must revert to the general fund. The bill directly affects the commission and communities relying on the Rio Grande valley's ecological and recreational resources.
HB 115 (New Mexico, 2026) adds specific protections for nurses who invoke "safe harbor" when they believe an assignment is unsafe or question a medical order. It requires healthcare facilities to establish clear processes for nurses to formally request safe harbor (including written documentation and supervisor notification), conduct post-occurrence reviews involving other nurses, and prohibits retaliation like demotion or termination for good-faith requests. The bill directly affects nurses and healthcare facilities by mandating structured procedures to address safety concerns without fear of punishment. It focuses on concrete policy changes: standardizing safe harbor requests, documenting them, and explicitly banning workplace retaliation against nurses who use the process.
HB 157 allocates $100,000 from the state general fund to New Mexico's Department of Health to create a website and hotline for expectant families and new parents. The resource will provide direct access to information on social services, financial assistance, adoption services, pregnancy care, parenting guidance, and local care centers. The funding is limited to fiscal year 2027, with any unused balance returning to the state budget. This bill does not change existing laws but provides new public access to existing support resources.
HB 240 creates the Education Opportunity Account Act, allowing eligible New Mexico students (residents without a high school diploma or equivalent) to access state-funded accounts for education expenses. The program deposits state funds - calculated based on average public school spending per grade, adjusted for special needs - into accounts managed by the state education department. Parents can use these funds for approved costs at qualifying private schools (not online schools), tutoring, textbooks, assessments, and transportation, but funds cannot be refunded to families and unspent balances revert to the state treasury after two years or upon graduation. The bill specifies strict usage rules, prohibits personal deposits into accounts, and requires annual contracts detailing approved expenses.
HB 223, the "Litigation Financing Transparency Act," requires legal counsel to disclose any litigation financing agreements to all parties in a civil case within 30 days of entering the agreement. It directly affects individuals or businesses (called "funded consumers") who receive financing for lawsuits and the "litigation financiers" providing that funding. Key provisions mandate full disclosure of financing terms, prohibit financiers from directing legal strategy or paying referral fees, and exclude certain agreements like those with health insurers or 501(c)(3) organizations seeking limited damages. The law aims to increase transparency in how lawsuit funding is structured without restricting standard contingency fee arrangements.
HB 235 requires medical examiners to conduct detailed autopsies and report specific sudden unexpected deaths of people under 20 to state and national health registries. It applies to sudden cardiac deaths in apparently healthy young people without known heart disease, unexplained natural deaths under 20, and infant deaths under one year (whether explained or unexplained). Autopsies must include toxicology, microscopic studies, and a review of medical and immunization records, with a focus on vaccines given within 90 days of death. The findings will be submitted to the New Mexico state registrar and a national CDC/NIH registry to standardize data collection for public health research.
SB 95 prohibits antisemitic discrimination across New Mexico by amending the Human Rights Act. It defines "antisemitic" as hatred toward Jewish people (including verbal or physical acts against them or those perceived as Jewish, their property, or Jewish community spaces) and explicitly includes this form of bias under existing anti-discrimination protections. The bill applies to all entities covered by the Human Rights Act, including employers, public accommodations, government bodies, and their employees or contractors. It ensures individuals harmed by antisemitic discrimination can file claims through the established Human Rights Act process, without creating new enforcement mechanisms.
HB 226 amends New Mexico's Rural Electric Cooperative Act and Renewable Energy Act to redefine "renewable energy resource" by adding "natural gas using combined cycle technology" to the list of qualifying sources. This change directly affects rural electric cooperatives and public utilities, allowing them to count electricity generated from this specific natural gas technology toward renewable energy requirements. The bill does not make natural gas renewable in general, but explicitly excludes other fossil fuels while including this combined cycle method under the definition. This is a technical definitional update, not a new policy requirement, and aligns with existing provisions that exclude most fossil fuels.
HB 232 creates a one-time $1,000 tax credit for New Mexico taxpayers who purchase certified secure gun storage (such as safes, lock boxes, or gun cases) starting in 2026. To qualify, buyers must obtain certification from the Public Safety Department confirming the storage meets safety standards, and the total annual credits are capped at $500,000. Taxpayers can claim the credit within one year of purchase to reduce their state income tax bill, with unused portions refunded. The credit applies only to individual taxpayers purchasing new storage devices for personal firearm storage, not to businesses or dependents.
HB 233, the "Protection of Women's Sports Act," requires New Mexico public schools and athletic clubs to designate sports teams and events as either for males, females, or coed. It mandates that participants in female-designated teams must be biologically female, verified by birth certificate sex at or near birth, and prohibits males from competing on such teams. The bill allows males to serve only as non-roster practice players without displacing female athletes. Violations permit private lawsuits for damages or injunctions, with a one-year filing deadline. This law directly affects high school and college athletic programs, governing team eligibility and competition rules.
House Memorial 23 requests the Regulation and Licensing Department and Motor Vehicle Division to study reestablishing New Mexico's statewide motor vehicle safety inspection program. The study would examine benefits based on research showing states with such programs have 10.3% fewer traffic fatalities and 20% of vehicles in Missouri had safety defects detected during inspections. It directs the departments to report findings and implementation recommendations to state agencies and the legislature by 2026, following New Mexico's prior 1970s program that ended due to implementation challenges. This memorial does not create a new law but seeks data to inform future policy decisions.
HB 11 creates the "Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact" to allow licensed professionals in these fields to practice across participating states without obtaining new licenses. The bill directly affects audiologists and speech-language pathologists who wish to serve patients in other member states, as well as patients seeking these services. Key provisions include mutual recognition of licenses, requirements for criminal background checks during application, and provisions enabling telehealth services to improve access. The compact preserves each state’s regulatory authority while streamlining cross-state practice, particularly benefiting military families and remote patients. (Note: The bill passed the House but was replaced by a committee substitute; this summary reflects the original bill’s intended purpose.)
