New Mexico Bills

in committee · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 329: BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PURCHASING COLLABORATIVE

HB 329 establishes a Behavioral Health Purchasing Collaborative to coordinate mental health and substance abuse services across New Mexico state agencies. The collaborative, attached to the Governor's office, will develop statewide service plans addressing regional needs (including rural, cultural, and border issues), consolidate behavioral health funding requests, and set quality standards for contracted providers. It requires the Governor to appoint a Director from nominees submitted by a new nominating committee, and mandates quarterly reports to legislative committees on service metrics and spending. This bill directly affects state agencies managing behavioral health programs and the residents accessing these services.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 569: NAVAJO-GALLUP WATER SUPPLY PROJECT

HB 569 allocates $10 million from New Mexico's general fund to plan, design, and construct a specific section of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project (Beacon-Bisti-N9, Cutter Lateral 371/Interstate 40). The funds are designated for fiscal years 2026-2028 to build a regional water line serving 12 Navajo chapters, including Coyote Canyon, Crownpoint, and White Rock. The bill directly affects these communities by providing infrastructure for a critical water supply. Unspent funds by the end of 2028 would revert to the general fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 485: SCHOOL MARSHAL ACT

HB 485, the School Marshal Act, creates a program allowing school districts to employ retired or former law enforcement officers as "school marshals" who may carry concealed firearms on school premises. To qualify, individuals must have at least three years of law enforcement experience, hold a concealed carry permit, and complete state-approved training. School marshals may only carry weapons with school board permission and are restricted to using force only to prevent serious bodily harm or death. The bill requires school districts to develop policies for firearm storage, mandates notification of law enforcement agencies about marshals, and specifies that marshals do not earn retirement benefits.

in committee · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 85: PROHIBITING NONFUNCTIONAL TURF INSTALLATION

HB 85 prohibits the installation of decorative or non-recreational turf (like in medians or parking lots) on state-owned or state-funded properties starting in 2027. It bans using regular water for irrigation on such turf after 2032, requiring only recycled or reclaimed water instead, and mandates replacing removed turf with drought-resistant landscaping (like native plants or efficient irrigation systems) by 2032. The bill directly affects all state-owned facilities and projects where the state provided at least 40% of funding, including government buildings, parks, and public infrastructure. Key provisions focus on reducing water use and promoting climate-resilient landscaping on public land.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SB 61: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT LICENSURE

SB 61 lowers the required experience for landscape architect licensure in New Mexico from 10 to 8 years for applicants without a formal degree. It directly affects individuals seeking licensure who lack a landscape architecture degree but have practical work experience. The bill amends licensing rules to allow the Board of Landscape Architects to later increase experience requirements to align with national standards. The key change reduces the barrier to entry for non-degree holders while maintaining the requirement for at least one year of supervised experience. This policy adjustment aims to modernize New Mexico's licensing standards without altering other qualification pathways.

in committee · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 482: COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEM ASSISTANCE PROJECT

HB 482 creates a three-year pilot program to provide technical, financial, and managerial assistance to public community water and wastewater systems across New Mexico. Administered by the state’s local government division, the program uses $900,000 in general fund appropriations (for fiscal years 2026-2028) to support these systems. Unspent funds after 2028 would revert to the general fund. The bill directly affects community water/wastewater providers seeking operational support, with no new regulations or eligibility requirements specified.

in committee · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 134: DELINQUENCY ACT CHANGES

HB 134 would revise New Mexico's Delinquency Act to expand definitions of "serious youthful offender" and "youthful offender," affecting minors facing juvenile justice proceedings. Key changes include removing mandatory consultations with probation before filing petitions, eliminating required detention risk assessments, and allowing 14+ youth to waive amenability hearings. The bill also modifies court procedures by permitting electronic detention hearings, requiring segregation of serious youthful offenders from adults, and allowing transfers to adult facilities upon reaching 18. It removes restrictions on court-ordered commitments, mandates equal consideration of all amenability factors during sentencing, and shifts authority over releasing delinquent youth from the Children's Department. The bill was postponed indefinitely in June 2025 and remains pending.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

in committee · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SM 10: PROTECTION FROM SEXUAL CRIMES

This Senate Memorial (SM 10) is a non-binding request urging the U.S. government, New Mexico, and Native American tribes to take action on sexual violence. It cites statistics showing children and Native Americans face disproportionate risks of sexual assault, with over 464,000 annual victims in the U.S., and calls for protecting victims and holding perpetrators accountable. The memorial specifically requests collaborative efforts to address reporting barriers, remove unjust statutes of limitations for sexual violence cases, and provide resources for victims. As a memorial - not a bill - it does not create new laws or policies but serves as a formal appeal to relevant entities.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 94: MAXIMUM CLASS LOADS

HB 94 sets maximum class sizes for kindergarten through third grade in New Mexico public schools. School districts must include specific class load data in their annual budget plans and obtain special approval for temporary waivers exceeding these limits. The bill requires districts to report how funds are used to maintain these class size requirements, including details on instructional staffing and resource allocation. It directly affects K-3 public school districts and their budget planning processes.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SM 23: TAOS WATER IMPOUNDMENT STUDY

This memorial requests the State Engineer to study building an earthen water storage site in Taos County for wildfire suppression and structure protection, including cost analysis and water rights requirements. It directly affects Taos County, tribal communities (Pueblo of Taos and Pueblo of Picuris), and emergency responders who would use the water during fires. The study would evaluate feasibility and costs, but the request was postponed indefinitely in June 2025. (Note: This is a procedural memorial, not a bill authorizing construction.)

in committee · New Mexico · House Jun 3, 2025

HB 267: PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS SUPERVISING OTHERS

HB 267 allows experienced physician assistants (with three or more years of clinical practice) to supervise newly licensed physician assistants, rather than requiring supervision only by licensed physicians. This change directly affects new PAs seeking supervision and experienced PAs who may qualify to oversee them. The bill amends New Mexico’s Physician Assistant Act to establish a board-approved process for experienced PAs to supervise new PAs, as specified in Section 3 of the amended law. The bill was referred to committees but was postponed indefinitely on June 3, 2025, and did not become law.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · New Mexico · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SB 525: PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH, SAFETY & WELFARE

Based solely on the provided context, SB 525 has no substantive policy details available. The bill's title ("PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH, SAFETY & WELFARE") and sponsor (Mimi Stewart) are listed, but the bill text contains no specific provisions or mechanisms. The bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 20, 2025, and its progress was indefinitely postponed on June 3, 2025. Without access to the actual bill text or summary describing its policy content, a factual summary of its provisions or affected parties cannot be provided.

Bill results