Rep. Joanne Ferrary

Maddy summaryHouse Memorial 63 requests New Mexico's Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department to study creating a nuclear energy commission and related topics. The study would examine repurposing decommissioned power plant sites, reactor safety (including small modular reactors), carbon capture policies, industrial uses of carbon dioxide, and county-level microgrid development. This non-binding resolution, introduced in 2025 and postponed indefinitely by the House committee, does not create new laws but directs state officials to assess nuclear energy's role in the state's renewable energy transition. The study aims to inform future policy decisions affecting New Mexico's energy infrastructure and climate goals.

Maddy summaryHB 552, the Medical Corporation Accountability Act, requires hospitals receiving local or state funding to disclose their ownership structures - including whether private equity or hedge funds own them - as well as health care provider salary ranges and CEO compensation. The Health Care Authority must then compile and report this information to the legislature annually starting in 2026. The bill also prohibits private equity funds and hedge funds from interfering with health care providers' professional decisions, such as treatment choices, staffing, or billing practices. This legislation aims to increase transparency around hospital ownership and protect clinical judgment from corporate influence.

Maddy summaryHB 452 clarifies how New Mexico utilities must handle renewable energy certificates (RECs) to meet the state's renewable energy standards. It specifies that utilities own RECs from most renewable energy they purchase, except for pre-July 2019 contracts or community solar projects (where the utility owns the RECs). The bill requires new contracts (after July 1, 2019) to transfer RECs to the utility, which must retire them or transfer them to customers under a voluntary program, and mandates annual reporting on REC usage and accounting.

Maddy summaryHB 417 redirects liquor excise tax revenue to address alcohol-related harms. It replaces the previous "DWI grant" program with a "local alcohol harms alleviation fund," distributing 94% of liquor excise tax revenue to this fund for community services. A new "tribal alcohol harms alleviation fund" receives all revenue from a proposed liquor excise surtax on retailers, specifically targeting tribal communities. The bill also excludes liquor taxes from "gross receipts" definitions in other tax laws and requires periodic legislative reviews of tax rates and distributions. These changes aim to reallocate existing tax revenue toward prevention and treatment programs rather than previous uses like drug courts or municipal grants.

Maddy summaryHB 396 amends New Mexico law to regulate how counties impose and use a special tax to fund spaceport development. It requires that any county spaceport gross receipts tax (capped at 0.5% of business revenue) must be approved by voters through a separate election and can only be collected until related bonds are fully paid. The bill mandates that at least 75% of all tax revenue must be dedicated solely to paying the principal and interest on these bonds, with no more than 25% available for other spaceport projects approved by the county. This directly affects counties seeking to form regional spaceport districts and their governing bodies, which must now follow strict revenue allocation rules under amended sections 5-16-5, 5-16-7, and 7-20E-25 NMSA 1978.

Maddy summaryHB 35 creates "Children's Health Protection Zones" extending 1 mile (5,280 feet) from school property lines, directly affecting oil and gas operators working near schools, daycare centers, and school-associated facilities. The bill requires operators to map these zones, develop leak response plans, implement alarm protocols, and conduct regular water quality testing. It also mandates suspending operations in these zones if they violate air quality laws, with penalties for non-compliance. The law focuses on operational requirements rather than banning drilling, targeting specific safety and monitoring measures near schools.

Maddy summaryHB 211 increases tax credits for solar energy systems in New Mexico, primarily benefiting homeowners, businesses, and agricultural entities that install qualifying solar photovoltaic systems. It raises the credit rate to 20% (from 10%) for systems with at least 15 kilowatt-hours of storage capacity, allowing a maximum $12,000 credit per property annually - double the standard limit. The bill also creates a new corporate income tax credit for businesses installing solar systems, while maintaining an annual $30 million cap on total credits. These changes aim to incentivize larger-scale solar adoption by offering higher financial rewards for systems with storage capabilities.

Maddy summaryHB 216 appropriates $10 million from the general fund to the Crime Victims Reparation Commission for community-based domestic violence programs in fiscal year 2026. The funding directly supports local organizations providing services to domestic violence survivors across New Mexico. Any unspent funds at the end of fiscal year 2026 must revert to the general fund. This bill creates a specific financial allocation for existing domestic violence programs without establishing new requirements or eligibility rules.

Maddy summaryHB 232 prohibits homeowner associations (HOAs) from charging fees when a property owner sells a lot or home within the HOA's development. This directly affects homeowners selling property in HOAs by banning a specific transaction fee tied to the sale. The bill amends the Homeowner Association Act to state that associations "shall not assess a fee on the sale of a lot or real property" by a lot owner. It focuses solely on eliminating this fee, with no other provisions or changes to HOA governance.

Maddy summaryHJR 3 proposes adding environmental rights to New Mexico's constitution, establishing for all residents a legally recognized right to clean air, water, soil, healthy ecosystems, a safe climate, and preserved natural/cultural environments. It requires state, county, and municipal governments to act as trustees of natural resources for all people, including future generations, with these provisions being self-executing (effective without further laws). The resolution does not allow monetary damages for violations but mandates equitable protection regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Currently pending, it must be approved by voters at the next general election after being postponed indefinitely by committees in June 2025.