Rep. Gail Armstrong

Maddy summaryHB 512 creates a program to help New Mexico medical residents and fellows repay student loans by providing direct payments to their lenders. It requires recipients to complete medical training in New Mexico and agree to practice medicine in the state for five consecutive years. The program excludes loans from state service programs, personal loans, and loans already covered by other repayment initiatives. Funds for the program will come from state appropriations and repayments, managed by the Higher Education Department through a new "Medical Residency Loan Repayment Fund."

Maddy summaryHB 447 temporarily exempts gaming operators licensed in areas declared disaster zones due to wildfires (specifically those declared in June 2024) from paying gaming taxes until July 1, 2029. The bill applies directly to licensed gaming businesses operating in these affected wildfire zones. Key provisions include requiring the exemption to be tracked in the state's tax expenditure budget and setting a fixed repeal date of July 1, 2029. This policy change removes a specific tax obligation for affected businesses during the recovery period.

Maddy summaryHB 413, the "Physician Assistant Licensure Interstate Compact," allows physician assistants licensed in one participating state to practice in other participating states without obtaining separate licenses. It directly affects licensed physician assistants, military families (by enabling active-duty personnel and spouses to practice across states based on a good-standing license), and patients receiving care in different states. The key mechanism establishes mutual recognition of licenses, requiring physician assistants to follow the licensing rules of the state where the patient is located at the time of care. This compact also mandates states to share disciplinary actions and criminal background checks through a centralized data system to maintain patient safety standards. The bill passed the New Mexico House but was postponed indefinitely in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Maddy summarySB 306 appropriates $1 million from the state general fund to support new police departments in Valencia County communities with populations under 5,000. The funds cover start-up costs like officer salaries, training, and equipment for these small-town departments during fiscal year 2026. Any unspent funds at year-end must return to the state general fund. This bill directly affects Valencia County communities meeting the population threshold by providing dedicated state funding for local law enforcement infrastructure.

Maddy summaryHB 399 would allocate $19.7 million from the state general fund to the Health Care Authority for fiscal year 2026 to increase Medicaid payment rates for nursing homes in New Mexico. This funding directly affects nursing homes that serve Medicaid patients by raising the reimbursement rates they receive for care. The bill specifies that any unspent funds at year-end would revert to the general fund. As of June 3, 2025, the bill was postponed indefinitely by the legislature and is no longer active.

Maddy summaryHB 425 requires New Mexico state agencies to provide written responses to every public comment received during the rulemaking process before finalizing a proposed rule. These responses must specifically address each comment's concerns and be published in the New Mexico Register alongside the adopted rule. The bill applies to all state agencies creating or modifying regulations and aims to increase transparency by making agency reasoning publicly accessible. This change does not alter existing timelines for rule adoption but mandates documented engagement with public input.

Maddy summaryHB 378 would cap non-medical compensation (excluding medical expenses and punitive damages) at $600,000 for most medical malpractice claims in New Mexico, and $750,000 for claims against "independent providers" (like solo practitioners or non-hospital-affiliated clinics), with annual inflation adjustments starting in 2023. It redefines "occurrence" to cover all claims from a single patient's harm, regardless of how many health care providers were involved. The bill also requires payments from the Patient's Compensation Fund to be made as expenses are incurred, rather than in lump sums. These changes would directly affect patients filing malpractice claims and the health care providers, facilities, and insurers they sue.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SJR 11) proposes amending New Mexico's constitution to allow school board elections to be held simultaneously with partisan elections (like those for governor or Congress), rather than requiring separate voting dates. It directly affects all New Mexico school districts, voters in those districts, and the state's election administration. The key mechanism is a constitutional change requiring voter approval at a general election after legislative passage. If approved, it would remove the current constitutional requirement that school elections "shall be held at different times from partisan elections." The resolution is pending voter approval after passing the Senate and committee stages.

Maddy summaryHB 366 adds veterinarians to the legal definition of "health care practitioner" in New Mexico law, specifically in Sections 24A-4-1 and 24A-4-5 of the state statutes. This change directly affects veterinarians and veterinary practices by making certain restrictive provisions in their employment agreements (like non-compete clauses) void, unenforceable, and against public policy. The bill applies to new or renewed agreements executed after its effective date (set for 2025), aligning veterinarians with other health care professionals like physicians and pharmacists under these rules. The bill passed committee reviews in February and March 2025 but was postponed indefinitely on June 3, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 279 creates a process for reviewing health care bills that could change health insurance coverage requirements. It requires New Mexico’s Legislative Council Service to hire contractors by September 2025 to analyze proposed bills, with legislators limited to requesting two reviews per chamber per session. The reviews must estimate impacts like affected residents, premium changes, cost-sharing shifts, and long-term health costs, and must include federal guideline alignment checks. The bill appropriates $100,000 for fiscal year 2026 to fund these reviews, which will be reported annually to the legislature.