Maddy summaryHB 375 creates the Graduate Behavioral Health Scholarship Act, providing debt-free education for New Mexico graduate students pursuing master's or doctoral degrees in behavioral health fields (counseling, psychology, social work, psychiatric nursing, or addiction medicine). The scholarship covers tuition, fees, books, and licensing costs after other state aid is applied, but recipients must commit to practicing in New Mexico for a number of years equal to the scholarship duration. The Higher Education Department will administer the program using $10 million appropriated for fiscal year 2026, with unspent funds rolling over annually. Students who graduate but fail to fulfill their practice commitment face penalties up to three times the scholarship value.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 72 would require New Mexico hospitals to maintain minimum nurse-to-patient ratios based on hospital unit types (like critical care, emergency departments, and labor units). It creates a staffing advisory committee with balanced representation from hospital administrators, direct-care nurses, and labor organizations to help set these ratios. Hospitals would need to develop written policies for staffing, training, and competency evaluations for both licensed and unlicensed staff. The bill mandates the Health Care Authority to establish specific numerical ratios by July 2026, with potential rural hospital adjustments, while requiring hospitals to meet these minimums for patient safety.
Maddy summaryHB 397 appropriates $2 million from the general fund to the New Mexico Higher Education Department for stipends to undergraduate and graduate behavioral health students. It directly affects students completing required training, supervision, or practical experience needed to obtain professional licensure in behavioral health fields. The stipends are funded for fiscal year 2026 only, with any unspent funds reverting to the general fund. The bill was referred to committees and later postponed indefinitely on June 3, 2025.
Maddy summaryThis House Memorial requests legislative committees to study financial and governance issues related to New Mexico's spaceport laws (the Regional Spaceport District Act and Spaceport Development Act). It specifically examines whether counties that contribute funds to spaceport development have fair representation in decision-making and whether current rules allow counties to avoid financial responsibility without consent. The study would assess imbalances in contributions versus control, potentially leading to future legislative changes. It does not change existing laws but aims to ensure fairer cost-sharing and governance for affected counties and the spaceport authority.
Maddy summarySB 431 changes how New Mexico distributes liquor tax revenue. It allocates 94% of liquor excise tax revenue to a new Local Alcohol Harms Alleviation Fund (replacing the previous DWI fund) and 6% to the Drug Court Fund, while creating a separate Tribal Alcohol Harms Alleviation Fund funded by a new surtax on liquor retailers. The bill also excludes liquor excise taxes from the definition of "gross receipts" in another tax law and requires legislative committees to review liquor tax rates and distributions. These changes directly affect local governments receiving funds for alcohol treatment programs, tribal communities accessing the new tribal fund, and liquor retailers paying the surtax.
Maddy summaryThis House Memorial (HM 50) requests the New Mexico Department of Transportation to establish a rest stop and memorial at the entrance to the Trinity Site near Bingham on U.S. Highway 380. It specifically aims to honor "downwinders" - residents of Socorro and Otero counties affected by the 1945 atomic bomb test - who have sought recognition for their sacrifices. The memorial would include a roadside plaque, a dedication ceremony on July 16, 2025 (the 80th anniversary of the test), and invitations to surviving downwinders and their families. As a non-binding memorial resolution, it does not create new law or funding but formally asks the DOT to implement these commemorative measures.
Maddy summaryHB 219 would create Slot Canyon Riverlands State Park on land in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, using the Broad Canyon ranch study area. The bill requires the state parks division to develop the park by prioritizing recreation, wildlife habitat, trail connections to the Rio Grande trail, and removing invasive salt cedar, while prohibiting the sale or exchange of park land. It appropriates $9 million from the general fund for park development and operations starting in fiscal year 2026, with unspent funds not reverting to the general fund. The bill passed the House and Senate but was vetoed by the governor on April 11, 2025, preventing it from becoming law.
Maddy summaryHB 212, the "Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances Protection Act," prohibits the sale in New Mexico of consumer products containing intentionally added PFAS chemicals. It directly affects manufacturers and sellers of items like food packaging, cookware, cosmetics, feminine hygiene products, carpets, and cleaning products. The bill requires these products to disclose PFAS content and undergo testing, while authorizing the Environmental Improvement Board to adopt specific rules banning PFAS in certain products. Violations could result in penalties, though the law allows for "currently unavoidable uses" where alternatives aren't available.
Maddy summaryHB 117 allows physician assistants (PAs) to certify the cause of death on a death certificate when they were the treating provider for the patient's illness or condition, without requiring physician approval. This directly affects PAs, hospitals, and medical facilities by expanding their authority under New Mexico’s death certification rules (amending Section 24-14-20 NMSA 1978). The key change explicitly adds PAs to the list of authorized certifiers alongside physicians and nurse practitioners, removing the prior need for physician oversight in such cases. It does not alter existing timeframes for filing death certificates or medical investigation procedures. The bill became law after being signed in April 2025.
Maddy summarySB 122 expands New Mexico's prescription drug donation program to allow more healthcare providers and facilities to participate in collecting and redistributing unused prescription drugs. It specifically adds licensed health care facilities and practitioners (beyond just clinics) as eligible recipients, permits out-of-state pharmacies to distribute drugs via mail or in-person, and requires safety checks for refrigerated drugs and tamper-evident packaging. The bill establishes rules for inspecting drugs, labeling, storing, and charging only reasonable handling fees to cover costs. It also provides liability protection for donors, recipients, and redistributors who follow safety procedures, while clarifying that manufacturers remain liable for their own products. The law, signed into effect on April 9, 2025, directly affects patients who receive donated medications and participating healthcare entities.