New Mexico Bills | MyRepTracker

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 82: PHYSICAL THERAPY LICENSURE COMPACT

HB 82 would allow New Mexico to join the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact, enabling licensed physical therapists from participating states to practice in New Mexico without obtaining a separate license. The bill requires states to conduct federal criminal background checks and share disciplinary information to protect public safety, while maintaining each state's authority over licensure. It directly affects physical therapists seeking to practice across state lines and patients who would gain broader access to physical therapy services. The compact aims to simplify interstate practice without changing core state regulatory standards.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 260: ALLOWABLE RESPONSES TO STUDENT BEHAVIOR

HB 260 prohibits seclusion, chemical restraint, mechanical restraint, and prone restraint (face-down positioning) in New Mexico public schools. It allows physical restraint only when a student poses imminent danger of serious harm and less restrictive interventions (like de-escalation or positive behavior supports) have failed. The bill requires schools to implement training for staff on de-escalation techniques, document all restraint use, and develop safety plans approved by the state education department. These plans must include input from behavior specialists and address reintegration after restraint. The bill is currently pending in the Senate after passing the House in March 2025.

Topics ✓ Education

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 112: CANNABIS LICENSURE CHANGES

HB 112 requires cannabis business license applicants in New Mexico to undergo state and national criminal background checks and sign their applications as part of eligibility. It updates the Cannabis Regulation Act by adding specific definitions (like "cannabis producer microbusiness" and "cannabis consumption area") to clarify licensing terms. The bill directly affects businesses seeking to operate cannabis cultivation, retail, manufacturing, or related activities under New Mexico's commercial cannabis program. These changes aim to standardize application requirements and background screening for license holders.

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HJM 2: COMBINE STANDING & INTERIM COMMITTEES

HJM 2 is a procedural request asking the New Mexico Legislative Council to create a task force to study combining the state's standing committees (active during sessions) and interim committees (active between sessions) into unified year-round committees. The task force would examine how to merge these committees, including staffing, funding, implementation timelines (with a 2027 target), and reducing overlap. It would include legislative members and public experts, and must submit a report by November 2025. This request directly affects how New Mexico's legislature organizes its committee structure, not specific policy outcomes.

passed · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SB 213: YIELDING TO TRANSIT BUSES

SB 213 requires drivers in New Mexico to yield the right-of-way to transit buses displaying a yield sign. It amends the Motor Vehicle Code to define "public mass transit operator" and establishes this specific yielding requirement for all drivers. The bill directly affects all vehicle operators using New Mexico roads when encountering buses with visible yield signs. It does not create new funding or services but modifies existing traffic rules to prioritize transit bus movement at intersections. The bill passed the Senate in March 2025 but was postponed indefinitely in June 2025.

Topics ✓ Transportation

passed · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SB 443: NO CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING DRUG COST SHARING

SB 443 prohibits health insurance plans in New Mexico from requiring patients to pay copays, deductibles, or coinsurance for cholesterol-lowering drugs. It applies to all group health coverage, individual health insurance policies, HMOs, and nonprofit health care plans delivered, issued, or renewed in the state. The bill defines "cost sharing" broadly to include any out-of-pocket payment beyond premiums, ensuring these medications are covered without financial barriers. The law would take effect on January 1, 2026, if enacted.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SB 135: REIMBURSEMENT FOR CERTAIN LEGISLATORS

SB 135 would amend New Mexico's reimbursement rules to allow state legislators who are not running for re-election (and thus not on a primary or general election ballot) to receive reimbursement for out-of-state travel related to legislative duties. Currently, such reimbursement is denied to legislators who haven't filed for re-election or were defeated in an election, but this bill creates an exception requiring approval by a three-fourths vote of the legislative council. The key mechanism mandates this council approval before reimbursement can be issued for eligible travel. This directly affects legislators who are term-limited or choosing not to seek re-election, ensuring they can travel for legislative business without losing reimbursement eligibility.

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 405: VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER SVC. & TRAINING

HB 405, the "Volunteer Firefighter Service and Training Job Retention Act," requires New Mexico employers to provide eligible volunteer firefighters with up to 112 hours annually for training (with 30 days' notice) and for emergency service calls (with notification and documentation). It directly affects employees who volunteer at state-certified fire departments, ensuring they can attend training or respond to emergencies without losing job protections. The law prohibits employers from terminating, demoting, or reducing leave/seniority accruals for using these leave days. Currently, the bill was passed by the House but was postponed indefinitely in the Senate on June 3, 2025, delaying its effective date of July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

passed both · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SB 305: QUALITY FOSTER PARENT TASK FORCE

SB 305 creates a 13-member task force to address challenges in New Mexico's foster care system, specifically focusing on recruiting and retaining foster parents. The task force includes appointed officials, foster family representatives, youth, tribal members with lived experience under the Indian Child Welfare Act, and other stakeholders like service providers and juvenile justice experts. It must study successful models from other states (citing Utah's 1998 bill as an example), conduct research with a university, and submit a final report by July 2026. The bill appropriates $100,000 from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to support this work.

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 145: ADDITIONAL HIGHWAY PROJECT BONDING

HB 145 increases New Mexico's bonding authority for highway projects, authorizing up to $1.124 billion in additional bonds. It sets specific limits: $624 million for major infrastructure projects (including those with federal financing history), $100 million for roads tied to the waste isolation pilot project, and $400 million for other highway work. Proceeds would come from state road fund taxes and federal highway reimbursement money, with annual caps on new bond issuance. This directly affects the State Transportation Commission's ability to finance road projects and impacts taxpayers through future bond obligations.

Topics ✓ Transportation

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 253: SEALING OF CERTAIN COURT RECORDS

HB 253 requires that court records for eviction cases be sealed (made inaccessible to the public) from the start of the case. The records remain sealed until 15 days after a court orders the landlord to take possession, unless the tenant appeals or the parties agree to keep them sealed. After that period, records become public but must be resealed after three years or if a tenant petitions for resealing based on "interests of justice." The bill also prohibits courts from publishing tenant or landlord names online and exempts tenants from disclosing evictions to third parties.

Topics ✓ Housing

passed · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 26: TICKET RESALE AT STATE AND NONPROFIT EVENTS

This bill expands New Mexico's ticket scalping law to cover events hosted by state agencies, local governments (like cities or counties), and tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. It prohibits reselling tickets for these events at a price higher than the original ticket cost or the venue's admission price. Sellers may still charge a service fee if permitted by a contract with the event organizer. Violating this law is a misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $500, up to one year in jail, or both.