Sen. Debbie O'Malley

Maddy summarySB 422 appropriates $5 million from the state general fund to provide operational funding and technical assistance grants to nonprofit organizations offering affordable housing, homelessness services, or transitional housing in New Mexico. The funds, to be administered by the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, are allocated for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Any unspent balance by the end of 2030 would revert to the general fund. This bill directly supports nonprofit housing providers through direct financial assistance and capacity-building resources.

Maddy summarySB 508 requires most health insurance plans in New Mexico to cover specific healthcare services without cost sharing (like copays or deductibles). It mandates coverage for abortion care, gender-affirming care, and contraception as outlined in federal guidelines, along with preventive services like immunizations and women's screenings. The bill also creates a special enrollment period for pregnant individuals and eliminates prior authorization for these services. High-deductible health plans are exempt until the policyholder meets their deductible, except where federal law allows. This bill directly affects insurance providers, healthcare facilities, and enrollees seeking these covered services.

Maddy summarySB 192 amends New Mexico's property tax code to update veteran exemptions based on recent voter-approved constitutional changes. It directly affects veterans and disabled veterans' surviving spouses by allowing their property tax exemptions to be transferred to a surviving spouse in the same tax year through a written request to the county assessor. The bill also modifies valuation rules for residential properties, limiting annual value increases (with exceptions for solar installations, disaster repairs, or ownership changes) and removing requirements for mailing residential property declarations to owners. These changes aim to clarify and streamline property tax administration while maintaining key veteran benefits.

Maddy summarySB 279, the Gas-Operated Semiautomatic Firearms Exclusion Act, bans the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of gas-operated semiautomatic firearms (those using gas pressure to cycle ammunition), large-capacity magazines (over 10 rounds), and rapid-fire devices that increase firing speed. It takes effect July 1, 2025, for new transactions and January 1, 2026, for possession, directly affecting firearm owners and dealers in New Mexico. The bill requires the Attorney General to maintain a list of prohibited firearms and allows exceptions for pre-2025 firearms certified by owners before January 1, 2026, or for government use. It does not affect non-gas-operated semiautomatic firearms or devices designed for .22 caliber rimfire ammunition.

Maddy summarySB 232 appropriates $500,000 from the state general fund to fund master planning for permanently affordable housing on publicly owned undeveloped properties in Albuquerque's Sawmill district. The funds, to be spent in fiscal years 2026-2027, are specifically for contracting a planning process to develop housing options. This bill directly affects Albuquerque residents seeking affordable housing and the city government managing the Sawmill district properties. The legislation does not create housing but allocates resources for the initial planning phase, with unspent funds reverting to the general fund by 2027.

Maddy summarySB 193 requires health insurers in New Mexico to cover at least one injectable weight loss drug (specifically a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist) for adults with obesity who need long-term weight management. It applies to all group health plans, individual insurance policies, HMOs, and nonprofit health care plans delivered or renewed after January 1, 2026. The law directly affects insured adults with obesity by mandating coverage for these medications and insurers who must add this coverage to their plans. It does not specify which drug must be covered, only that at least one such injectable option must be included in prescription drug coverage.