2025 NM Legislative Session

Santa Fe, NM – New Mexico Family Action Movement is proud to announce the introduction of House Bill 578, the Every Mother Matters Act (EMMA), a new piece of legislation aimed at expanding support services for pregnant women in New Mexico. Sponsored by Jennifer Jones, this bill seeks to ensure that women facing unexpected pregnancies have access to critical resources, providing them with the support they need to make informed decisions.

At the heart of HB 578 is the Pregnancy Launch Program, a statewide initiative that connects pregnant women with vital, life-changing resources, including free prenatal care, child care assistance, housing support, addiction recovery services, and counseling. While these resources already exist, the program streamlines access by compiling them into a single, easy-to-navigate system. By doing so, it provides immediate, tangible support to women who might otherwise feel abortion is their only option due to financial hardship or lack of assistance.

Priority legislation would improve CYFD transparency, accountability, and oversight to better protect New Mexico's children

Santa Fe, N.M. – Today, the House of Representatives unanimously passed three priority bills to improve oversight, transparency, and accountability at New Mexico's Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD).

House Bill 5 would create an independent Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) to oversee child welfare in New Mexico. As an impartial public official, the Child Advocate would receive and investigate complaints related to children's services at CYFD and state agencies, ensure their resolution, and inform the public, legislature, and Governor about opportunities for improvement.

Santa Fe, NM — Today, despite unified Republican opposition, Senate Bill 57 passed the Senate. This measure creates a new Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) exemption for publicly funded entities whose employees perform abortions. Democrats even killed a common sense amendment presented by Senate Republicans that would have maintained public access to aggregate data and statistics, effectively hiding every aspect of these matters from the public.

In response, Senator Pat Woods (R-Broadview) issued the following statement:

Santa Fe, NM — Today, Senate Bill 319 was presented in the Senate. During the debate, mounting opposition from Republicans forced the bill's sponsor, Katy Duhigg (D-Albuquerque) to withdraw her bill from consideration. The bill would have mandated that every insured driver in New Mexico carry uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance for the vehicles in their policy. Estimates have indicated this measure could potentially increase an average New Mexico driver's monthly insurance payment by upwards of 43%.

Senator Jay Block (R-Rio Rancho) has issued the following accompanying statement:

SANTA FE – Senator Crystal Brantley (R-Elephant Butte) today celebrated the passage of Senate Bill 11 from the Senate Floor with a vote of 29-8. The bill, dubbed the "Anti Distraction Policy in Schools," asks school districts to implement anti-distraction policies to limit the use of cell phones during instructional time. For districts that choose to implement a policy associated with new technology (such as magnetic bags or lockers), the bill allocates funds for a grant program to be administered by the Public Education Department so districts can recoup any costs they incur.

Legislation expands housing access by prohibiting landlords and home sellers from discriminating based on income sources 

Santa Fe, N.M. – Today, the House of Representatives passed legislation to strengthen protections and expand housing access for renters and homebuyers in New Mexico by a vote of 42-24.

House Bill 339 would add “source of income” as a protected category under the New Mexico Human Rights Act, building on existing protections against discrimination based on gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. The bill specifies that all verifiable sources of legal, recurring income, including social security, government assistance, and housing vouchers, must be included when calculating income requirements for renters and homebuyers. HB 339 is sponsored by Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Las Cruces) and Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe).

Solar Access Fund would provide grants to statewide municipalities and tribal governments to establish solar energy systems for public buildings and utilities

Santa Fe, N.M. – Today, the House of Representatives passed legislation to improve access to solar energy and enhance emergency resiliency for New Mexico’s rural and tribal communities by a bipartisan 43-22 vote.

House Bill 128 creates the Local Solar Access Fund within the New Mexico Finance Authority, which would provide grants to local government and tribal entities throughout the state for the development of solar energy systems to power public buildings and infrastructure. The program, which is supported by $20 million in this year’s state budget, would prioritize projects in rural and economically disadvantaged communities, as well as projects that would support local workforce development.. 

Game & Fish Reform (SB5) Passes Senate, Heads to House

Santa Fe, N.M. – March 1, 2025 – Today, members of New Mexico’s hunting, angling and conservation community released the following statement after the Senate passed SB 5, a measure to reform the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the State Game Commission, with a 28-12 bipartisan vote. 

“This is very good news for the sportsmen community and will help New Mexico ensure wildlife is healthy for future generations,” said Jesse Deubel, Executive Director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. “We call on the House to take up this bill quickly to give the Department the resources it needs and create a better functioning Game Commission to properly oversee it.”