Rep. Marian Matthews

Maddy summaryHB 308 moves the Substitute Care Advisory Council from administrative oversight by the Regulation and Licensing Department to the Attorney General's office. It transfers all council personnel, funding, property, and contracts between these departments. The bill maintains the council's existing duties - monitoring child welfare systems, reviewing cases, and advising on substitute care policies - but changes its administrative home. This is a procedural reorganization affecting state agency structure, not a policy change for children or families in substitute care.

Maddy summaryHB 33, the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, would allow licensed psychologists in New Mexico to provide telepsychology services across state lines and offer up to 30 days of in-person practice annually in another participating state without needing a separate license. It establishes mutual recognition of licenses between states that adopt the compact, enabling psychologists to serve clients in other states while ensuring public safety through shared disciplinary records. The compact directly affects licensed psychologists seeking to expand practice across state lines and clients in states with limited local mental health providers. Key mechanisms include standardized telepsychology authorization, temporary in-person practice limits, and a coordinated system for sharing license and disciplinary information among participating states.

Maddy summaryHB 32 creates the Counseling Licensure Compact, allowing licensed professional counselors in participating states to practice across state lines without obtaining separate licenses. It directly affects licensed counselors and their clients in member states, enabling them to provide in-person or telehealth counseling services where the client is located. Key provisions include mutual recognition of licenses, sharing of disciplinary records between states, and requiring counselors to follow the practice laws of the state where the client is located. The compact also specifically supports military spouses relocating with active-duty service members. This bill does not change existing state licensure requirements but streamlines interstate practice for qualified counselors.

Maddy summaryHB 91 amends New Mexico law to create a new privacy exception for law enforcement records. It specifically prohibits disclosing to the public a notification about a change in a family member's cause of death without the permission of the person receiving that notification. This directly affects families who receive such updates from law enforcement and law enforcement agencies handling these notifications. The bill ensures that these sensitive communications remain private, preventing public disclosure unless the recipient consents.

Maddy summarySB 32 extends the statute of limitations for prosecuting human trafficking cases to six years from when the crime is reported to law enforcement. It increases the age of protection for victims of child sexual exploitation by prostitution from 16 to 18 years, making it a crime to profit from children under 18 in such acts. The bill adds human trafficking and child exploitation victims to the Victims of Crime Act, defines "harm" to include psychological and financial impacts, and prohibits reduced sentences for human trafficking convictions. These changes directly affect victims, prosecutors, and defendants in human trafficking cases across New Mexico.

Maddy summaryHB 223, the "Litigation Financing Transparency Act," requires legal counsel to disclose any litigation financing agreements to all parties in a civil case within 30 days of entering the agreement. It directly affects individuals or businesses (called "funded consumers") who receive financing for lawsuits and the "litigation financiers" providing that funding. Key provisions mandate full disclosure of financing terms, prohibit financiers from directing legal strategy or paying referral fees, and exclude certain agreements like those with health insurers or 501(c)(3) organizations seeking limited damages. The law aims to increase transparency in how lawsuit funding is structured without restricting standard contingency fee arrangements.

Maddy summaryHB 31 creates the Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact, allowing EMTs and paramedics licensed in one participating state to practice in other member states without obtaining new licenses. It directly affects EMS professionals who work across state lines and the states that join the compact. Key provisions include mutual recognition of licenses, sharing of disciplinary actions (like license suspensions), and requiring home states to use national registry exams and investigate complaints. This streamlines emergency response during cross-state incidents while maintaining public safety through shared accountability. The compact aims to increase access to licensed EMS personnel and reduce licensing barriers for providers.

Maddy summaryHB 132 would create a legal presumption that specific health conditions are work-related for New Mexico police officers, directly affecting commissioned officers (including sheriffs, deputies, and certain missile range civilian police) who meet the eligibility criteria. The bill presumes that PTSD (after 20 years for pre-2013 hires, 25 years for later hires), back pain from wearing a duty belt, and heart issues (same timeframes) were caused by employment. Employers could rebut these presumptions with evidence showing non-work-related causes, but would initially cover medical treatment until a court rules otherwise. If a court finds the condition isn’t work-related, the employer’s insurer would be reimbursed by the officer’s health insurance plan.

Maddy summaryThis memorial (HM 54) requests New Mexico's Public Regulation Commission to form a working group focused on improving utility access for mobile home park tenants. It directly affects the PRC, mobile home park owners, tenants, and utility providers by seeking recommendations for consistent rules governing water, electricity, gas, and sewer services. The working group must include diverse stakeholders - like tenant and owner associations, utility representatives, and low-income advocates - and report by November 2026. The memorial does not create new laws but aims to develop a regulatory framework addressing frequent utility disruptions faced by tenants, who often rent land while owning their mobile homes.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes New Mexico's participation in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, enabling licensed physicians to more easily practice across participating states. It requires physicians seeking multi-state licensure to maintain a "state of principal license" (their primary practice location) and meet strict eligibility criteria, including no criminal convictions, active licensure, and no pending disciplinary actions. The compact creates a commission to manage applications, verify qualifications, and issue "expedited licenses" without requiring full re-licensure in each state. This primarily affects physicians already licensed in New Mexico who wish to provide care in other participating states, streamlining cross-state medical practice. The bill is pending final approval after passing the House.