Sen. Gabriel Ramos

Maddy summaryHB 262 amends New Mexico's Transportation Emergency Fund to explicitly allow grants for small rural school districts to purchase buses specifically for student activities. This change directly affects small rural school districts by creating a new, targeted funding source for transportation needs beyond existing uses like fuel price spikes. The bill adds this provision to the fund's existing purpose, ensuring money remains available year-to-year without reverting to the general fund. The state education secretary must track and report all distributions to the governor and relevant legislative committees, as required by current fund rules.

Maddy summarySB 61 allocates $5 million from New Mexico's general fund to support rural library operations through fiscal years 2027 and 2028, with a maximum of $2.5 million spent each year. The funding is directed to the Cultural Affairs Department to help sustain library services in rural communities. Any unspent funds by the end of 2028 will return to the state general fund. This is a straightforward funding measure with no additional policy provisions or eligibility criteria specified.

Maddy summaryHB 261 allocates $3 million from the general fund to New Mexico's Public Education Department to provide grants for small rural school districts to purchase buses specifically for student activities (such as sports and clubs). The funds must be expended by the end of fiscal year 2027, with any unused balance reverting to the general fund. This bill directly affects small rural school districts that lack resources for activity transportation. It is a funding measure, not a policy change, providing targeted financial support for existing extracurricular needs.

Maddy summaryHouse Memorial 27 designates January 28, 2026, as the fiftieth annual "Grant County Day" in the New Mexico House of Representatives. The memorial also honors former Hurley mayor Joseph Edward "Ed" Stevens and current Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales for their service to New Mexico. This ceremonial resolution recognizes Grant County's cultural heritage, historical significance, and contributions to the state. As a non-binding memorial, it does not create new laws or affect any legal obligations.

Maddy summarySB 347, the "Health Care Workers Conscience Protection Act," protects healthcare workers who refuse to participate in abortion or abortion-related services based on ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. It directly affects doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical students, and other staff at healthcare institutions (like hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies) by prohibiting penalties - including license loss, job discipline, or adverse employment actions - for such refusals. Key provisions require institutions to provide written notice of the law to all staff within 30 days of enactment and post summaries prominently, while mandating that workers who object transfer patient records to new providers upon request. The bill does not alter patient access to abortion services but focuses on safeguarding workers' conscience-based choices. (Note: The bill was postponed indefinitely in June 2025 and has not been enacted.)

Maddy summarySB 247 requires New Mexico's Public Education Department to publish annual results of state-approved science, math, and English language arts assessments by September 1 each year. It mandates the department to include statewide performance trends and disaggregated data broken down by student demographics (race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, special education status) and school-level performance. The results must be published in an easily accessible, user-friendly format on a dedicated website maintained by the department. This directly affects public schools, parents, educators, and students by making assessment data more transparent and available for review. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 402 allows New Mexico public employees who served in the U.S. military to purchase retirement credit for that service. To qualify, they must pay a cost based on their salary and contribution rates, meet minimum service requirements, and cannot purchase more than five years of credit total. The bill also includes specific provisions for civilian prisoners of war and employees from certain organizations (like utilities or libraries) that later become public employers. It aims to help these workers count military or related service toward their pension benefits under the Public Employees Retirement Act.

Maddy summaryHB 136 amends New Mexico's child abuse statute to explicitly include knowingly exposing a child to fentanyl use as "prima facie evidence" of child abuse. This change directly affects parents, guardians, or caregivers who allow children to be present during fentanyl use. The bill adds a specific provision (Section J) stating that such exposure automatically meets the legal standard for proving abuse, making it easier for authorities to pursue cases. It does not create new crimes but strengthens existing legal evidence for prosecuting abuse involving fentanyl. The bill is pending with a postponed committee hearing and would take effect July 1, 2025, if enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 561 requires New Mexico agricultural employers providing housing to migrant and seasonal agricultural workers to comply with existing U.S. Department of Labor housing standards, rather than creating new state rules. It directly affects farms and agricultural businesses in New Mexico that house seasonal workers. The bill adopts federal standards for housing conditions, including requirements for sanitation, safety, and space. The bill was referred to committees in February 2025 but was postponed indefinitely on June 3, 2025, and is currently inactive.

Maddy summarySB 51 would appropriate $3 million from the state general fund to improve communication infrastructure, specifically cellular and radio towers, in Dona Ana, Hidalgo, and Luna counties. The funds would be managed by the Department of Finance and Administration's Local Government Division for use in fiscal year 2026, with any unspent balance reverting to the state treasury. The bill was referred to committees, passed with amendments, but was postponed indefinitely on June 3, 2025, meaning it did not advance to become law.