Rep. Kathleen Cates

Maddy summaryHB 120, the "Accessibility Act," requires all New Mexico state agencies to make their websites, mobile apps, and physical facilities compliant with digital (WCAG 2.1 AA) and physical (ADA) accessibility standards by April 2026. It creates an Office of Accessibility within the governor’s commission on disability to enforce these standards, provide training, and oversee agency compliance through regular reports. The bill directly affects people with disabilities by ensuring equal access to state services and empowers individuals to file lawsuits against non-compliant agencies. The bill passed both legislative chambers in March 2025 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 233 requires New Mexico health insurance plans to cover durable medical equipment specifically for treating active diabetic foot ulcers, including topical oxygen therapy, when prescribed by a healthcare provider. This mandate directly affects individuals with diabetes who develop foot ulcers, ensuring their insurance covers these necessary medical devices. The bill amends existing insurance laws to add this equipment as a required benefit under policies covering diabetes care, without creating new funding. It applies to all individual and group health insurance policies, health plans, and managed care plans operating in New Mexico.

Maddy summaryHB 131 shifts oversight of caregiver background checks from the New Mexico Department of Health to the Health Care Authority. It expands the list of disqualifying felony convictions (including crimes like child abuse, sexual offenses, and fraud) and allows the Health Care Authority to add more disqualifying offenses through rules. Care providers must conduct nationwide criminal history screenings using fingerprints before hiring caregivers, with results kept confidential. The bill affects all care providers (e.g., hospitals, home care agencies) and caregivers employed in New Mexico.

Maddy summarySB 16 allows New Mexico voters who have not registered with a major political party (or declined to choose one) to participate in primary elections. These voters can now select a major party's ballot on election day without changing their voter registration, simply by requesting it at the polls or on mail-in ballot applications. The bill amends election laws to ensure such voters are provided the option to affiliate with a major party for primary voting purposes, directly affecting those who previously could not vote in partisan primaries. This change applies to both in-person voting and mailed ballot requests for primary elections.

Maddy summaryHB 357 prevents New Mexico's Medicaid home- and community-based services waiver program (MI VIA) from including healthcare providers' gross receipts taxes when calculating individual participant budgets. The bill requires the health care authority to create rules ensuring these taxes are billed and reimbursed separately as an additional cost, not deducted from a participant's approved annual budget. This directly affects MI VIA program participants (typically individuals receiving home care services through Medicaid) and healthcare providers who serve them. The law, signed on April 8, 2025, changes how provider tax costs are handled within the waiver program's funding structure.

Maddy summaryHB 192 allocates $2.8 million from the general fund to cover subscriber fees for New Mexico's digital trunked radio communications system, directly benefiting municipal, county, and tribal public safety agencies providing law enforcement, fire, medical, or emergency services. The bill requires the Department of Information Technology to submit an annual report by December 1 starting in 2026, detailing projected fees and users for the following fiscal year. This ensures transparency in funding allocation for the public safety radio system, which agencies rely on for critical communications. The appropriation is non-reverting, meaning unspent funds carry over to future years.

Maddy summaryHB 41 transfers $6.25 million to the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund for state matching of federal water infrastructure projects, $2 million to the Local Government Planning Fund for community planning initiatives, and $5 million to the Cultural Affairs Facilities Infrastructure Fund for maintaining museums and historic sites. These funds are designated for use in fiscal year 2026 and beyond, with unspent balances remaining in the recipient funds rather than returning to the Public Project Revolving Fund. The bill directly affects state water projects, local government planning efforts, and cultural facility maintenance by providing dedicated funding streams. It makes no new policy changes but allocates existing funds from one state revolving fund to three specific purpose-driven funds.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a ceremonial resolution, not a law. It declares February 20, 2025 as "Excellence in Rio Rancho Day" in the New Mexico House of Representatives. The resolution recognizes Rio Rancho's growth, economic progress (including median income increases), safety rankings, school district achievements, and business community. It has no policy impact or binding effect; it simply honors the city through a symbolic declaration.

Maddy summaryHB 8 requires competency evaluation reports for defendants to include a professional's opinion on whether the defendant meets criteria for involuntary commitment or assisted outpatient treatment if found incompetent to stand trial. It creates community-based competency restoration programs for non-dangerous defendants and expands the list of crimes that could trigger commitment proceedings. The bill also mandates courts to advise prosecutors to consider commitment after criminal case dismissal and allows competency reports to be used directly in mental health treatment proceedings. This affects defendants found incompetent, courts, prosecutors, and mental health systems by integrating criminal competency evaluations with mental health treatment pathways.