Rep. Rod Montoya

Maddy summaryHB 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.

Maddy summaryHB 245 prohibits New Mexico public schools from denying enrollment to school-age students based on race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, or residential address. It requires school boards to post grade-level vacancy counts every 12 weeks and enroll applicants on a first-come, first-served basis when space is available. The bill also limits school boards' ability to create enrollment preferences beyond specific priorities and mandates annual public reporting of enrollment data to the state education department. This directly affects all public school districts and students seeking enrollment across New Mexico.

Maddy summaryHB 103 caps annual increases in residential property tax assessments at 103% of the prior year's value or 106.1% of the value from two years prior, whichever is higher. This limit does not apply if a property's zoning changed or if ownership transferred in the year before the tax year. The bill also requires counties with low property sales ratios to reassess properties to meet a minimum threshold before the cap applies. It takes effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 387, the Education Opportunity Account Act, creates a state-funded program allowing New Mexico students (residents not yet holding a high school diploma) to use state deposits to cover private school tuition and qualifying education expenses. The state would deposit monthly funds into accounts based on average public school spending per grade (adjusted for special needs), covering costs like private school tuition, tutoring, textbooks, and standardized test fees. Parents must contract with the state annually for approved expenses, and unused funds revert to the general fund after two years unless waived for extenuating circumstances. The program does not require students to attend private schools but prohibits parents from adding personal funds to accounts or receiving refunds.

Maddy summaryHB 332 criminalizes unlawful squatting in New Mexico as a fourth-degree felony, making it illegal for someone to reside on another's property without permission. Property owners can seek doubled damages for injury to property caused by squatters and receive a citation process that gives alleged squatters three business days to contest it with proof like leases or deeds. The bill requires law enforcement to provide a 3-day notice before removal, allowing squatters to submit counter affidavits claiming legal possession, which may lead to a court trial to determine rightful ownership. If a court rules for the property owner, it can award rent value for the occupancy period and other monetary relief.

Maddy summaryHB 324 would create a new program in New Mexico allowing school tuition organizations to provide scholarships to low-income students for private school attendance, while offering tax credits to donors. It directly affects eligible low-income students (defined as those meeting federal lunch program income thresholds and previously attending public or home schools), private schools in New Mexico, and nonprofit organizations administering the scholarships. Key provisions include requiring organizations to allocate at least 90% of donations to scholarships, prohibiting donor-designated students, mandating annual public reporting of scholarship details, and establishing individual and corporate income tax credits for contributing to these programs. The bill also sets strict audit requirements for larger organizations and defines "eligible students" to maintain eligibility through graduation or age 21.

Maddy summaryHB 466, the "Hormone Therapy and Puberty Blocker Child Protection Act," prohibits health care providers and public bodies from knowingly performing or administering hormone therapy or puberty blockers to minors for the purpose of helping them live as a gender different from their sex assigned at birth, except for treating congenital defects, precocious puberty, or existing medical conditions ending by December 2025. The bill requires health care providers to notify parents in writing before a minor receives gender-affirming care, defines "gender-affirming action" broadly to include name/pronoun changes or seeking related services, and overrides minors' ability to consent to such care. It also creates a private right of action for parents to sue providers or public bodies for violations. The bill was referred to committees in February 2025 but was postponed indefinitely on June 3, 2025.

Maddy summaryHJR 8 is a constitutional amendment proposal that would change how New Mexico's legislature operates. It would limit all regular legislative sessions to 45 days (down from 60 days for odd-year sessions) and remove restrictions preventing consideration of non-budget bills during even-numbered years. The amendment also adds a provision for considering governor veto overrides for bills from previous sessions within the same legislative biennium. As a constitutional proposal, it requires voter approval at the next general election and is currently stalled after being postponed indefinitely on June 3, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 275 would establish a 0% flat individual income tax rate for New Mexico residents, effective for tax years beginning January 1, 2026. The bill eliminates the requirement for residents to file personal income tax returns (though filing remains optional), modifying existing tax code sections to remove all tax brackets and filing obligations. It directly affects all New Mexico residents who currently file state income tax returns, including individuals, married couples, and heads of household. The key provision replaces all existing tax brackets with a zero tax rate and removes the mandatory filing requirement under Section 7-2-12. The bill was referred to committees but was postponed indefinitely on June 3, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 573 prohibits New Mexico's Secretary of State or county clerks from sending voter registration eligibility notifications to non-U.S. citizens. It directly affects non-citizen residents who previously received such notices about potential voting registration. The bill amends the Election Code to ban these notifications for individuals or groups containing non-citizens, effective July 1, 2025. This is a procedural change affecting notification practices, not voting eligibility or registration rights.