HB 301 authorizes New Mexico's Department of Information Technology to manage and implement information technology projects for the state's judicial branches, including district courts and related entities. The bill allows the department to establish vendor agreements for IT goods/services, provide annual catalogs of available services with approved pricing, and access non-agency data only when necessary to maintain those services. It specifically appropriates $1.2 million from the general fund for district attorneys' technology needs in fiscal year 2027, with unspent funds reverting to the general fund. This legislation directly affects judicial branch operations and district attorneys' offices by streamlining their access to centralized IT resources and funding.
SB 223 prohibits businesses from setting different prices for goods or services based on "surveillance data" about consumers, such as tracking online behavior or inferred personal information. It directly affects businesses that use automated systems to adjust prices based on personal data, banning this practice except for cost-based pricing, standard discounts (like student or senior rates), or insurance-related decisions. The law allows consumers to sue for damages up to $3,000 per violation and authorizes the Attorney General to enforce penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. It includes specific safeguards for de-identified data and exempts insurers from the prohibition.
HB 330 would add "AI Ethics" as an approved elective course option for New Mexico high school students to fulfill graduation requirements. Specifically, it amends the state's graduation standards (Section K(7)) to explicitly include AI Ethics among the valid electives alongside courses like career clusters, financial literacy, and media literacy. This change directly affects high school students seeking to meet their seven and one-half elective unit requirement for graduation. The bill does not alter other graduation requirements but expands the available course options students can choose to satisfy their elective needs.
HB 311 requires New Mexico's electric utilities to create programs that aggregate customer energy resources (like home batteries, solar, or smart devices) into "virtual power plants" to support grid operations. Utilities must submit program plans by February 2027, with rules ensuring these programs meet a 15% peak demand target and fairly compensate participants for grid services. The bill directly affects utilities, third-party program managers, and owners of energy storage systems (requiring minimum wage compliance for systems over 1 megawatt). It also allows utilities to recover program costs through approved mechanisms while establishing rules to prevent unfair advantages for utility-run programs.
The Accessibility Act requires all New Mexico state agencies to make their websites, mobile applications, and physical facilities compliant with accessibility standards by April 1, 2027. It mandates adherence to digital standards (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA) and physical standards (based on the federal Americans with Disabilities Act) to ensure services are accessible to people with disabilities. The bill creates an Office of Accessibility within the governor’s commission on disability to oversee compliance, provide technical assistance, and develop reporting mechanisms. State agencies must post accessibility statements on their websites and submit biennial reports detailing progress, barriers, and corrective actions to the governor and legislative committees.
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HB 323 appropriates $5 million from the general fund to the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion for fiscal year 2027 and beyond. It directly assists low-income residents living in unincorporated areas, small municipalities (under 20,000 population), or tribal lands (reservations, pueblos, or trust lands) to access affordable broadband service. The bill mandates that unspent funds carry over annually instead of reverting to the general fund. This funding mechanism aims to expand broadband access in underserved communities without requiring additional annual appropriations.
HB 28, the Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act, requires businesses in New Mexico using AI for major decisions (like loans, jobs, housing, or healthcare) to notify consumers before AI influences those decisions. It mandates clear explanations for negative outcomes - including reasons, data used, and human oversight - and provides consumers a chance to correct data or appeal decisions reviewed by humans. The bill also forces AI chatbots ("companion products") to disclose their AI nature at the start of each conversation and prohibits misleading claims about being human. These requirements apply to all businesses operating in New Mexico using AI for consequential decisions, effective July 1, 2026.
SB 80 amends New Mexico's Family Violence Protection Act by expanding and updating the legal definition of "abuse" (replacing "domestic abuse"). The bill adds specific examples to the definition, including digital harassment, harm to animals, threats about immigration status, unauthorized sharing of private images, and harm to children. It explicitly clarifies that courts may include provisions protecting a victim's animals in orders of protection. This change directly affects victims seeking protection orders, courts issuing those orders, and law enforcement handling domestic violence cases under the updated definition.
HB 141, the Artificial Intelligence Accountability Act, requires large online platforms (with over 2 million U.S. monthly users) and AI content creators to label synthetic media. It mandates two types of disclosures: a visible "manifest" label (e.g., "AI-generated") for users and a hidden "latent" digital marker embedded in content with creator/tech details. The bill also obligates platforms to provide free public tools to detect content origins while protecting personal data, and prohibits sharing deceptive synthetic content that falsely depicts identifiable people without consent. These rules apply to AI-generated images, audio, and video, directly affecting major tech companies and device manufacturers producing cameras starting in 2028.
SB 172 extends New Mexico's Technology Readiness Gross Receipts Tax Credit, allowing national laboratories operating in the state to claim tax credits for costs incurred while helping registered New Mexico businesses mature technologies developed at those labs. The credit covers qualified expenses like lab staff salaries, travel, and supplies, up to $150,000 per business annually and with annual limits per laboratory (starting at $2 million in 2026-2027 and rising to $5 million by 2029). To qualify, businesses must be registered in New Mexico and have licensed technology from the lab or participate in a cooperative research agreement with it. National laboratories must submit annual reports detailing program activities, business progress, and economic impact studies to the state tax department.
