Maddy summarySB 11, the Nurse Loan Repayment Act, creates a state fund to repay student loans for New Mexico nurses working in designated underserved areas or as nursing educators. It directly affects licensed registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) who commit to four years of service in areas identified by the state as lacking sufficient nursing staff. The program provides up to $35,000 in total loan repayment ($7,500 annually for two years and $10,000 for the next two), with payments made directly to lenders. Nurses must meet eligibility criteria (NM license, U.S. citizenship/permanent residency, and service in designated areas or as faculty/preceptors), and non-compliance requires repayment of the award plus 15% interest. The bill excludes state loan-for-service programs, scholarships, and personal loans from eligibility.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySB 98 amends New Mexico's Cultural Properties Act and Cultural Properties Protection Act to explicitly exclude "jetty jacks" from the definition of "cultural property." Jetty jacks are steel and wire river bank maintenance structures installed by federal agencies (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Army Corps of Engineers). The bill changes statutory definitions so these specific structures are no longer subject to cultural property protections or review processes. This directly affects federal river maintenance infrastructure, removing it from state cultural preservation regulations.
Maddy summarySB 135 revises the membership structure of New Mexico's Legislative Finance Committee (LFC). It reduces the total committee size from 16 to 15 members, adjusts the appointment process for house members (from six to five), and clarifies rules for minority representation and vacancy fills. The bill requires appointments to maintain proportional party representation within each chamber and specifies that committee chairs alternate between the Senate and House every two years. This procedural bill affects only the committee's composition and appointment procedures, with no substantive policy changes.
Maddy summarySB 138 repeals a state law that has prohibited New Mexico cities and towns from enacting rent control on privately owned housing. This bill directly affects local governments, removing a legal barrier that has prevented them from creating rent control policies since 1991. The key mechanism is the repeal of Section 47-8A-1 NMSA 1978, which previously banned municipalities from passing such ordinances. If passed, this would allow cities and towns to develop their own rent control rules for private rental properties.
Maddy summarySB 134 creates a permanent joint legislative committee focused on health and human services in New Mexico. It establishes a 10-member committee (4 Senate, 6 House) with specific party representation rules, appoints a director, and requires the committee to study state health/human services systems, recommend policy changes, and report findings before each odd-year legislative session. The bill appropriates $500,000 for initial staffing and operations in fiscal year 2027. This procedural bill directly affects the legislature and state agencies, which must provide requested information to the committee.
Maddy summarySB 139 appropriates $100,000 from the general fund to the Commission on the Status of Women for fiscal year 2027. The funding directly supports the commission's operations by covering contractor assistance, additional office space, and an agency database. Any unspent funds at year-end will revert to the general fund. This bill provides specific financial resources to enhance the commission's capacity without changing existing laws or policies.
Maddy summarySB 180 limits strip or cavity searches in New Mexico juvenile detention facilities to situations where there is a reasonable belief that dangerous contraband is present and cannot be found by other means, requiring authorization from the facility superintendent. The bill mandates that such searches be conducted in the least intrusive manner possible and requires detailed incident reports - including the child's name, search rationale, and results - to be submitted within one business day. It also prohibits cameras or recording devices in shower and toilet areas of detention facilities. These provisions directly affect juvenile detention facilities and the children held in them in New Mexico.
Maddy summaryHB 169 appropriates $250,000 from the general fund to the University of New Mexico's Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies for two main purposes in fiscal year 2027. It provides year-round scholarships prioritizing New Mexico residents from rural, tribal, indigenous, or underserved communities - especially those planning to offer culturally rooted healing services in the state - and funds statewide outreach including workshops, courses, and collaboration with tribal governments and rural communities. The bill also requires the department to research and develop new curanderismo (traditional medicine) courses to address New Mexico's cultural and health needs. Unspent funds at year-end will revert to the general fund. This bill directly affects UNM students, community health educators, and New Mexico communities through educational and health programming.
Maddy summarySB 179 appropriates $350,000 from the state general fund to fund the University of New Mexico's Health Sciences Center medical Spanish education program. The funding supports curriculum development and implementation for health sciences students, specifically to enhance Spanish-language medical training. This bill directly affects UNM Health Sciences Center students by expanding their language skills for patient care in New Mexico's Spanish-speaking communities. The appropriation is limited to fiscal years 2027-2028, with unspent funds reverting to the general fund.
Maddy summarySB 184 creates a new "Children's Behavioral Health Services Division" within New Mexico's Health Care Authority, transferring oversight of children's behavioral health services from the Children, Youth and Families Department. This reorganization directly affects children receiving behavioral health services, as well as the two state departments managing these programs. The bill's key mechanism is the formal transfer of operational responsibility for mental health and substance abuse services for children in department custody to the Health Care Authority's new division. It does not create new services but reassigns existing program management to improve coordination under the Health Care Authority.