Rep. Kristina Ortez

Maddy summaryHB 92 appropriates $10 million from the general fund to New Mexico's Department of Environment for fiscal year 2026. The funding supports planning, designing, and constructing projects to improve river, stream, and wetland habitats and surface water quality. Any unspent funds at the end of fiscal year 2026 would revert to the general fund. This bill directly affects the Department of Environment's water quality initiatives and communities relying on these water systems.

Maddy summaryHB 239 allocates $100,000 from the general fund to the New Mexico Cultural Affairs Department to partner with the Higher Education Department on a feasibility study for a lowrider museum in Española. The study must be completed by 2027, with any unspent funds reverting to the general fund. This bill does not establish the museum but assesses its potential viability, focusing on factors like costs, community interest, and operational needs. The funding is specifically limited to the study phase, not construction or operation of the museum.

Maddy summaryHB 108 creates a new statewide public health and climate program within New Mexico's Department of Health, requiring it to launch by January 2026. The program directs the Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau to improve collaboration on health equity and climate adaptation, help communities develop resilience plans, provide climate and health expertise to local councils, and prioritize engagement with communities most impacted by extreme weather. It appropriates $1.1 million from the general fund for the program in fiscal year 2026, with unspent funds reverting to the state treasury. The bill directly affects the Department of Health, local public health councils, tribal communities, and residents in areas vulnerable to climate impacts.

Maddy summaryHB 259 increases fines and fees for oil and gas companies violating New Mexico's regulations. It raises daily penalty limits from $2,500 to $10,000 for standard violations (up to $25,000 daily if health/safety risks exist) and sets a new maximum total penalty of $3.65 million for division/commission actions. The bill also hikes application fees (e.g., drilling permits from $500 to $1,500) and requires annual inflation adjustments starting in 2027. These changes directly affect oil and gas operators, permit applicants, and companies subject to the Oil and Gas Act.

Maddy summarySB 156 adds a definition for "low-income customer" to New Mexico's Public Utility Act and exempts these customers from additional fees ("rate riders") imposed when new customers connect to utility systems. It directly affects low-income households using electricity, gas, or water services who qualify under the new definition. The bill's key mechanism is creating a formal definition for "low-income customer" and mandating that utilities exclude these households from certain cost-sharing fees. This change aims to reduce financial burdens on eligible low-income utility users by preventing them from paying extra costs tied to new infrastructure connections.

Maddy summaryHB 253 requires that court records for eviction cases be sealed (made inaccessible to the public) from the start of the case. The records remain sealed until 15 days after a court orders the landlord to take possession, unless the tenant appeals or the parties agree to keep them sealed. After that period, records become public but must be resealed after three years or if a tenant petitions for resealing based on "interests of justice." The bill also prohibits courts from publishing tenant or landlord names online and exempts tenants from disclosing evictions to third parties.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SB 4) amends New Mexico's Abuse and Neglect Act to establish a specific "best interests of the child" standard for courts to use in child welfare cases. It requires courts to consider 14 concrete factors, including the child's vulnerabilities, history of harm or abuse, family substance abuse history, parenting skills, safety in the home, and the family's willingness to engage with support services. The bill directly affects children in abuse/neglect proceedings, their families, and child welfare agencies by providing clearer criteria for judicial decisions about custody and placement. It does not change funding, create new programs, or alter existing legal penalties.

Maddy summaryHB 310 prohibits landfilling of electric vehicle batteries in New Mexico and requires end-of-life batteries to be managed through a hierarchy prioritizing reuse, repair, remanufacturing, or repurposing before recycling. Battery providers (including manufacturers, distributors, and retailers) are responsible for end-of-life management unless a secondary handler or user modifies the battery, in which case that entity becomes responsible. The bill defines key terms like "secondary handler" (entities that sort or prepare batteries for reuse) and "specialized battery recycler" (facilities authorized to extract materials), and restricts commercial haulers and solid waste facilities from accepting batteries for disposal. This directly affects battery sellers, recyclers, and waste management facilities by mandating specific handling procedures for electric vehicle batteries.

Maddy summaryHB 13 requires New Mexico electric utilities to create detailed distribution system plans by 2027, including mapping grid capacity, setting connection time targets for new customers, and outlining strategies for grid upgrades to meet decarbonization goals. It mandates annual reports tracking connection times and requires utilities to develop "beneficial electrification" plans - converting non-electric energy use (like gas heating) to efficient electric systems - with cost recovery allowed through approved rate changes. Utilities must also provide quarterly online access to grid capacity data and follow minimum wage rules for related construction work. This directly affects all New Mexico electric utilities providing retail service, requiring them to plan for grid modernization and electrification while ensuring cost transparency.

Maddy summaryHB 459 allocates $1.5 million from the state general fund to the Higher Education Department for a pollinator research, education, and outreach program at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe. The program must align with recommendations from a prior legislative report (House Memorial 33) and focuses on supporting healthy pollinator habitats and conservation through research and public education. Funding covers fiscal years 2026-2028, with no more than $150,000 allowed for administrative costs, and any unspent funds revert to the general fund by 2028. The bill directly affects IAIA’s operations and aims to benefit pollinators (like bees and butterflies) and New Mexico ecosystems through science-based conservation efforts.