New Mexico Bills | MyRepTracker

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 156: REPEAL SPECIAL SESSION VACCINATION LAWS

HB 156 would repeal specific vaccination-related provisions from New Mexico's 2025 First Special Session laws (Laws 2025, 1st S.S., Ch. 5, §§ 8-13). These repealed sections would have otherwise taken effect on July 1, 2026, governing certain vaccination policies. The bill removes these provisions from state law, effectively eliminating the requirements they established. As of now, the bill has passed committee hearings but remains pending legislative action.

Topics ✗ Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 38: WHEELCHAIR INSURANCE COVERAGE

HB 38 requires New Mexico health insurance plans to cover wheelchairs and activity chairs for individuals with permanent mobility-limiting conditions (such as paralysis, limb loss, or neuromuscular disorders) without more restrictive terms than other medical benefits. The bill mandates coverage equivalent to Medicare standards, including all necessary services like fittings, repairs, replacements, and instruction, while prohibiting separate cost-sharing or lifetime limits for these devices. It also ensures insurers must cover out-of-network providers when in-network options are unavailable and reimburse at in-network rates. This applies to all group health plans under the Health Care Purchasing Act.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 200: NEW HOMES FOR NEW MEXICO PROGRAM

HB 200 creates the "New Homes for New Mexico Program" to provide interest-free loans for first-time homebuyers purchasing newly built starter homes from approved developers. The program targets buyers earning below 120% of the area median income for a family of four, requiring the home to be their primary residence and limiting starter homes to 1,800 square feet on lots under 5,000 square feet. Loans up to $50,000 (or $75,000 in high-cost counties like Los Alamos, Santa Fe, or Taos) must be repaid if the home is sold or stops being the primary residence. The program is funded by a $25 million appropriation from the general fund for fiscal year 2027 and beyond.

Topics ✓ Housing

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 34: SCHOOL NURSE LICENSURE PROVISIONS

HB 34 updates New Mexico's school nurse licensure rules to clarify that charter schools must follow the same requirements as public school districts. It establishes three license levels: Level One (a 3-year provisional license requiring mentorship and annual evaluations for new nurses without 3+ years of experience), Level Two (a 9-year license for nurses who complete Level One or have 3+ years of experience), and Level Three (a 9-year license requiring advanced education and leadership skills). The bill sets minimum salaries for each level equal to corresponding teacher salary grades and mandates annual competency reviews by school districts or charter schools. These changes apply to all school nurses employed in New Mexico public and charter schools starting July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · Senate Mar 6, 2026

SB 38: FEES ON REGISTERED PET FOOD

SB 38 repeals a delayed repeal of fees charged to businesses registering pet food products in New Mexico. The bill removes a provision that would have postponed ending these fees until 2025, instead requiring the fees to end immediately. This directly affects pet food manufacturers and distributors that pay these registration fees, as it eliminates the remaining delay in ending the requirement. The bill does not change the fee amount or create new fees - it only accelerates the timeline for their removal.

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 6, 2026

HR 1: HOUSE INVESTIGATORY SUBCOMMITTEE

HR 1 is a procedural resolution creating a special House committee to investigate allegations related to "Zorro ranch," a private estate in Santa Fe County. The committee, composed of two members from each major party, will examine claims of criminal activity and public corruption connected to the property, with authority to hold hearings, subpoena witnesses, and issue reports. It must complete its work by December 31, 2026, submitting interim and final reports detailing findings and recommendations on legislative action. The resolution directly affects state oversight procedures but does not enact new laws or policies.

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 4: HEALTH CARE AFFORDABILITY FUND DISTRIBUTIONS

HB 4 adjusts how funds from New Mexico's health insurance premium surtax are distributed to the Health Care Affordability Fund. It changes the percentage of surtax revenue sent to the fund over time: 55% before July 2024, 30% from July 2024 to September 2025, 55% from September 2025 to September 2026, and 100% after September 2026. The bill directly affects the allocation of state revenue generated by the health insurance surtax, which supports healthcare affordability programs. This policy change modifies existing distribution rules without altering the surtax rate itself. The fund's purpose is to assist New Mexicans with healthcare costs, though the bill does not specify new eligibility criteria or program expansions.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 6, 2026

HB 128: FIREFIGHTER OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE DISABLEMENT

HB 128 presumes that certain cancers and health conditions diagnosed after specific employment periods are caused by firefighting work, directly affecting full-time non-volunteer firefighters in New Mexico. It lists 17 cancer types (like bladder, breast, lung, and leukemia) that are presumed work-related after 5-15 years of service, along with infectious diseases (e.g., hepatitis) and PTSD requiring physical impairment. The bill shifts the burden of proof: employers must rebut these presumptions with evidence showing non-work causes, and medical treatment for covered conditions must be provided as if work-related. This aims to streamline access to workers' compensation for firefighters facing job-linked health issues without requiring them to prove causation in court.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 5, 2026

HB 291: TAX CHANGES

HB 291 makes several specific changes to New Mexico tax procedures. It sets a $5 minimum civil penalty for failures to pay certain taxes (withholding, oil/gas, workers' comp fees), clarifies that taxpayers with approved payment plans aren't considered delinquent for license renewals, and allows attorney fees to be paid from tax revenue distributions. The bill also prevents interest from accruing during granted filing extensions and modifies rounding requirements for tax calculations. These changes directly affect taxpayers, businesses, and the state's tax administration processes.

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 5, 2026

HB 270: CONTRIBUTIONS TO APPRENTICE & TRAINING PGMS.

HB 270 requires employers working on most New Mexico public works construction projects to contribute to apprenticeship or training programs, or to the Public Works Apprentice and Training Fund administered by the Workforce Solutions Department. The bill sets a zero contribution rate for trades without approved apprenticeship programs (such as certain street, highway, or utility projects), ensuring employers aren't required to pay if no local program exists. It amends existing law to clarify administration, compliance verification, and penalty enforcement for these contributions. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, directly affecting public works contractors and the state's workforce development system.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · New Mexico · Senate Mar 5, 2026

SB 41: STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR CERTAIN SEX CRIMES

SB 41 eliminates the statute of limitations for specific sex crimes in New Mexico, including second, third, and fourth degree criminal sexual penetration and contact with minors, as well as related attempts, conspiracies, and solicitations. Prosecutors can now file charges for these crimes at any time, regardless of when they occurred. The bill also tolls the statute of limitations for child abandonment or abuse cases until the victim turns 18 or reports the abuse to law enforcement, whichever happens first. This change directly affects victims of these crimes and allows for prosecution without time constraints.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · New Mexico · House Mar 5, 2026

HB 7: APPRENTICESHIP ASSISTANCE ACT TRANSFERS

HB 7 directs annual transfers from New Mexico's Workforce Development and Apprenticeship Trust Fund to two specific programs: $2.5 million to the Public Works Apprentice and Training Fund and $2.5 million to the Workforce Solutions Department for fiscal year 2026, with amounts reducing to $1.5 million each annually after 2026. These funds support apprenticeship programs under the Apprenticeship Assistance Act, directly aiding job training for workers in public works and other sectors. The bill ensures dedicated funding for workforce development while including a contingency to transfer money to the general fund only if other reserves are exhausted during budget shortfalls.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment