Rep. Meredith Dixon

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to create the Children, Youth and Families Commission, which would set policy and oversee New Mexico's state child welfare agency. The commission would consist of three members appointed by the governor, House speaker, and Senate president, each requiring child welfare experience and serving six-year staggered terms. The amendment must be approved by voters at the next general election before taking effect. This is a procedural proposal to restructure child welfare governance, not an immediate law.

Maddy summarySB 78 would change New Mexico law to include nuclear energy as a renewable energy source for public utilities and rural electric cooperatives. The bill amends definitions to specifically list nuclear facilities (using fission or fusion without carbon emissions during generation) as a qualifying "renewable energy resource." This means nuclear power would count toward the state's renewable energy requirements under current law. The change directly affects how utilities calculate compliance with New Mexico's renewable portfolio standards.

Maddy summarySB 177 transfers $111 million from New Mexico's General Fund to the Research, Development and Deployment Fund, with additional allocations totaling $106 million over three years for economic development initiatives. It specifically funds advanced energy startups ($37.5 million), defense/aerospace/bioscience innovation hubs ($30.9 million), and university research projects at New Mexico Tech and UNM (including $9 million for wireless tech and $8 million for defense-related equipment). These funds target industries like renewable energy, quantum computing, and defense technology, with unspent balances reverting to the General Fund by 2029. The bill directly affects the Economic Development Department, New Mexico universities, national laboratories, and businesses in targeted technology sectors.

Maddy summaryHB 199 updates New Mexico's sex offender registration laws to align with federal requirements under the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act. It requires sex offenders who live in New Mexico, work in New Mexico for over 14 days annually, or attend school in New Mexico to register with their local sheriff. The bill clarifies key terms, such as defining "habitually lives" (30+ days in a year) and expanding "institution of higher education" to include trade schools. This affects individuals convicted of specific sex offenses (e.g., sexual contact with minors, exploitation, or trafficking) who meet the residency, employment, or school criteria under state or federal law. The bill aims to ensure state compliance with federal reporting standards.

Maddy summaryHB 162 creates a new crime of "negligent homicide by vehicle" (a fourth-degree felony) for causing death while violating reckless driving laws. It increases penalties for homicide by vehicle under the influence or with prior DWI convictions (adding four years per prior DWI within 10 years). The bill also allocates $250,000 for a statewide public education campaign on reckless driving, funded from the general fund for fiscal year 2027. This legislation directly affects drivers who cause death or injury through reckless or impaired driving. It modifies existing criminal penalties without changing the underlying reckless driving statute.

Maddy summaryHB 267, the Wildfire Utility Mitigation & Liability Act, requires electric utilities (including cooperatives) to develop and get approval for wildfire prevention plans by August 2026. Utilities must submit detailed plans covering infrastructure maintenance, vegetation management, public safety shutoff procedures, and community outreach, with the Public Regulation Commission reviewing them within 180 days. If a utility follows an approved plan, it receives a compliance certificate that limits its liability for wildfires caused by its equipment and allows cost recovery through special charges on customer bills. The bill also mandates annual compliance reports and creates a statute of limitations for certain wildfire-related lawsuits against utilities.

Maddy summarySB 97 expands New Mexico's Technology Jobs and Research and Development Tax Credit by including property owned by municipalities or counties for industrial revenue bond projects as eligible "qualified expenditures." This change directly affects tech businesses and research facilities that use such municipal-owned property for their operations, allowing them to claim tax credits for related costs. The bill amends the existing tax credit definition to remove a current exclusion for these specific property expenditures. It does not alter the credit's calculation method or eligibility thresholds for businesses. The policy change aims to broaden access to the tax credit for qualifying tech investments funded through local government bonds.

Maddy summaryHB 27 expands New Mexico's Technology Jobs and Research & Development Tax Credit by broadening the definition of "qualified expenditure" to include property owned by municipalities or counties for industrial revenue bond projects. This change directly affects technology companies and research facilities in New Mexico that qualify for the credit, allowing them to claim tax credits for costs related to local government-owned facilities used in qualifying R&D activities. The bill modifies existing tax code definitions to include these previously excluded property costs, without altering the credit's base eligibility criteria or calculation method. The amendment applies to businesses meeting standard requirements under the Technology Jobs and R&D Tax Credit Act, such as conducting qualified research in New Mexico facilities.

Maddy summaryHB 250 changes the membership structure of New Mexico's Technology and Innovation Network Advisory Board. It removes representatives from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Navajo Technical University, and Central New Mexico Community College as core members, and reduces public members from 11 to nine. The nine public members must now have experience in investment or entrepreneurial support specifically within four target sectors: aerospace/space, biosciences, clean energy/water, and advanced computing. These changes streamline board representation without altering the board’s core duties of advising on strategic planning, industry engagement, and funding recommendations for the state’s technology division.

Maddy summaryHB 2, the General Appropriation Act of 2026, allocates funding for New Mexico's state government operations during fiscal year 2027. It directs $55 million from the general fund to legislative agencies and $496 million from the general fund to the judiciary, with additional amounts from other funding sources. The bill requires unspent funds at year-end to automatically return to the general fund by October 1, 2026 and 2027, and establishes accounting rules for tracking revenue and expenditures. This bill affects all state agencies by setting their budget allocations and spending rules for the 2027 fiscal year.