Rep. Anita Gonzales

Maddy summaryHB 330 would add "AI Ethics" as an approved elective course option for New Mexico high school students to fulfill graduation requirements. Specifically, it amends the state's graduation standards (Section K(7)) to explicitly include AI Ethics among the valid electives alongside courses like career clusters, financial literacy, and media literacy. This change directly affects high school students seeking to meet their seven and one-half elective unit requirement for graduation. The bill does not alter other graduation requirements but expands the available course options students can choose to satisfy their elective needs.

Maddy summaryHouse Memorial 42 is a non-binding request asking state departments to study how to address potential job losses and community impacts if three New Mexico immigration detention centers (in Cibola, Otero, and Torrance counties) close. It directs the Economic Development Department to study replacing jobs for the 700+ employees at these facilities, the Corrections and Health departments to explore repurposing the buildings for juvenile detention or healthcare, and state programs to assist affected communities. The study results must be submitted to legislative committees by October 1, 2026. This memorial does not change laws or guarantee facility closures - it only requests analyses to prepare for possible future scenarios.

Maddy summaryHB 280 creates a three-year pilot program in New Mexico that provides grants to nonprofit organizations, schools, and tribal entities to fund paid internships for youth aged 14-22. The grants supplement internship pay (requiring shared funding from host organizations), cover support services like career counseling, and must collect data on outcomes such as internship completion and post-internship employment. The Workforce Solutions Department will administer the program, requiring grantees to have complaint systems and report annually to the legislature. The bill appropriates $250,000 (2027-2029) for this initiative, with unspent funds reverting to the general fund by 2029.

Maddy summaryThis House Memorial (HM 51) requests state departments to study how to support workers and repurpose detention facilities if contracts with U.S. immigration authorities end. It directs the Economic Development and Workforce Solutions departments to explore new job opportunities for affected employees, while the Corrections, Children/Youth/Families, and Health Care departments must examine alternative uses for the facilities (e.g., healthcare, community services). The studies, due by October 1, 2026, aim to address potential economic impacts on communities near Cibola, Otero, and Torrance County detention centers. As a procedural memorial, it does not enact new law but seeks planning for possible future changes.

Maddy summaryThis memorial (not a bill) requests a study to examine how New Mexico public schools are ranked compared to other states, specifically focusing on using the Lexile framework for measuring reading proficiency. It asks the Legislative Education Study Committee and Public Education Department to analyze school ranking methodologies, including Lexile data already collected across all New Mexico schools and available in 42 states. The study would compare factors like student achievement, graduation rates, funding, and school safety to determine if current rankings fairly reflect New Mexico's educational performance relative to national peers. The goal is to understand if consistent metrics like Lexile could provide a more accurate picture of school performance, rather than changing existing ranking systems.

Maddy summaryHB 68 allocates $2 million from the general fund to New Mexico's Workforce Solutions Department for a healthcare recruitment program in fiscal year 2027. This funding directly supports efforts to attract healthcare workers to the state, primarily benefiting healthcare facilities and providers facing staffing shortages. The bill specifies that any unspent funds at year-end must return to the general fund, ensuring fiscal accountability. The program aims to strengthen healthcare workforce availability without altering existing regulations or creating new requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 90 creates a $1,000 annual income tax credit for licensed health care professionals in New Mexico who provide unpaid clinical training (preceptorships) to graduate students seeking eligible health care degrees. It directly affects licensed doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and other health professionals who mentor students at New Mexico colleges or universities. To qualify, preceptors must complete at least 120 hours of training under an accredited institution, with the credit requiring institution certification and applying only to the year of service. Unused portions of the credit can be carried forward to future tax years. The credit applies to taxable years beginning January 1, 2026, and targets health care education support rather than broader policy changes.

Maddy summaryHB 142 expands New Mexico's health care tax credit to include practitioners working in urban health care underserved areas, not just rural ones. It increases the maximum credit for rural practitioners from $5,000 to $10,000 for full-time service (1,584+ hours) and reduces the required hours for emergency medical physicians from 1,500 to 1,440 annually. The bill also creates tiered credit amounts based on location (rural vs. urban) and hours worked, with higher credits for longer service periods. This directly affects licensed health care providers like doctors, nurses, and therapists practicing in underserved communities across New Mexico. The bill is currently under review by the House Health & Human Services and Taxation committees.

Maddy summaryHB 100 appropriates $3 million from the state general fund to the Public Education Department for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Innovation Network during fiscal year 2027. This funding directly supports public schools and educational institutions in New Mexico by financing STEM programs and resources. Any unspent funds at the end of fiscal year 2027 must revert to the general fund. The bill establishes a specific, time-bound funding mechanism without altering existing education policies or creating new requirements for schools.

Maddy summarySB 5 appropriates $3 million from the state general fund to the University of New Mexico Board of Regents over fiscal years 2027-2029. The funding directly supports hospitals in New Mexico’s medically underserved rural communities to develop and expand physician residency programs in family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics. This aims to address physician shortages by creating training opportunities in critical specialties where healthcare access is limited. Unspent funds will revert to the general fund by the end of 2029. The bill focuses on concrete funding for residency expansion, not new regulations or long-term policy changes.