Sen. Pat Woods

Maddy summaryHB 114 appropriates $1 million from the general fund to expand New Mexico's Double Up Food Bucks program for fiscal year 2027. The bill directly helps SNAP participants by doubling their purchasing power for meat, nuts, eggs, and fresh fruits/vegetables at New Mexico farmers' markets. It requires the Board of Regents of New Mexico State University to manage the funds, with any unspent balance reverting to the general fund by year-end. This concrete funding increase aims to increase access to fresh, healthy food for low-income residents at local farmers' markets.

Maddy summarySB 108 allocates $2 million from the state general fund to the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (administered through New Mexico State University) to fund a regional farm-to-food bank program. This program connects local farms with food banks across New Mexico, helping redirect surplus produce to communities facing food insecurity. The bill ensures the funds remain available for fiscal year 2026 and future years without reverting to the general fund if unspent. It is a funding measure, not a new policy, and directly supports food banks, farms, and food-insecure residents through this specific appropriation.

Maddy summarySB 186 prohibits New Mexico SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) beneficiaries from using federal benefits to purchase sweetened drinks or candy. The bill defines "candy" as sugar-based products (like bars or pieces) and "sweetened drink" as nonalcoholic beverages with 5g+ added sugar or artificial sweeteners (excluding milk, soy milk, or drinks with 50%+ fruit/vegetable juice). It directly affects SNAP recipients in New Mexico who would no longer be able to use benefits for these specific items. The bill amends the Public Assistance Act to implement this restriction, pending further legislative action.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a tax deduction for businesses selling dyed diesel fuel (used for non-highway purposes like farming) instead of the current tax credit system. It allows businesses to reduce their state gross receipts tax bill by the amount of dyed diesel sales, effective July 1, 2026, and requires separate reporting of this deduction. The deduction applies to all dyed diesel sales until July 1, 2031, replacing the existing credit for agricultural use. This change directly affects businesses selling dyed diesel fuel in New Mexico.

Maddy summaryHB 62 renames New Mexico's geothermal electricity generation tax credits to "geothermal energy production" credits and establishes a tiered credit system based on kilowatt-hour output. It provides tax credits ranging from $0.015 to $0.035 per kWh (increasing over the first five years then decreasing), capped at 200,000 megawatt-hours per facility annually. The bill limits total annual credits to $55 million, reserving $11 million for tribal and small businesses, and allows credit transfers between taxpayers. This directly affects geothermal energy producers in New Mexico who own facilities generating electricity from geothermal resources.

Maddy summaryHB 267, the Wildfire Utility Mitigation & Liability Act, requires electric utilities (including cooperatives) to develop and get approval for wildfire prevention plans by August 2026. Utilities must submit detailed plans covering infrastructure maintenance, vegetation management, public safety shutoff procedures, and community outreach, with the Public Regulation Commission reviewing them within 180 days. If a utility follows an approved plan, it receives a compliance certificate that limits its liability for wildfires caused by its equipment and allows cost recovery through special charges on customer bills. The bill also mandates annual compliance reports and creates a statute of limitations for certain wildfire-related lawsuits against utilities.

Maddy summaryHB 7 directs annual transfers from New Mexico's Workforce Development and Apprenticeship Trust Fund to two specific programs: $2.5 million to the Public Works Apprentice and Training Fund and $2.5 million to the Workforce Solutions Department for fiscal year 2026, with amounts reducing to $1.5 million each annually after 2026. These funds support apprenticeship programs under the Apprenticeship Assistance Act, directly aiding job training for workers in public works and other sectors. The bill ensures dedicated funding for workforce development while including a contingency to transfer money to the general fund only if other reserves are exhausted during budget shortfalls.

Maddy summarySB 143 updates fee amounts for several New Mexico agricultural regulatory programs. It raises annual license fees for egg dealers (small: $10 to $20, large: $50 to $100), pesticide registrations ($150 to $200), and nursery permits ($75 to $100). These changes directly affect egg producers, pesticide businesses, nursery operators, and fertilizer distributors who must pay these updated fees. The bill amends existing statutes to reflect the new fee schedules under the Egg Grading Act, Pesticide Control Act, and Plant Protection Act.

Maddy summarySB 1 creates a $50 million fund to provide grants to rural health care providers and facilities in high-need areas, specifically targeting those serving Medicaid patients in counties with under 100,000 residents or designated Health Professional Shortage Areas. The bill allows grants to cover operating losses for existing services at risk of closure or reduction, not for new facilities or construction. Providers must be Medicaid-licensed, demonstrate verified financial need, and commit to continued service during the grant period. The fund is nonreverting, meaning unspent money carries forward, and the bill takes immediate effect as an emergency measure.

Maddy summarySB 444 would require judges, not juries or other parties, to determine the exact amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice cases against health care providers. This directly affects patients who win punitive damages claims and the health care providers (like hospitals or doctors) facing those awards. The bill amends New Mexico's Medical Malpractice Act to specify that punitive damages must be set by a judge, removing ambiguity about how these non-compensatory penalties are calculated. It does not change rules for compensatory damages (like medical costs) or the availability of punitive damages in eligible cases. The bill was referred to committees but postponed indefinitely in June 2025.