Mid-session update

New Mexico’s 30-day legislative session is halfway done. Already a few important bills have passed or are on track to pass:

Good news:

Several of the medical provider compacts have passed or are one their way to passing. On the margins these compacts will help alleviate New Mexico’s medical provider shortage. There is more work to be done, however. Several compacts have NOT moved that should move. It is easy to see what is happening with the various compacts here, just search for “Compact” and you’ll find the various bills and their status.

Bad news: 

HB 99 which would have addressed New Mexico’s medical malpractice laws was amended in House Health Committee to exempt nearly ALL hospitals from the medical malpractice limits contained in the bill. The bill is in House Judiciary. We need the committee to strip out the amendment. MLG has made it clear this is a top priority for her before she leaves office. A failure to address medical malpractice could result in a special session (or two).

SB 18 the so-called “Clear Horizons” bill would lead economic destruction of the state due to this bill’s complete elimination of CO2 emissions in New Mexico. There are so many problems with this destructive bill. You can go to this link for more AND to send a message to legislators in opposition. 

SB 2 has already passed both houses. It DOES provide a needed $1.5 billion in road funding, but it does so in part by increasing taxes (35%) on commercial truckers and (25%) on vehicle registrations. On the positive side there are fees on EV’s for the first time which will help with road maintenance.

SB 17 would have profound negative impacts on New Mexicans’ 2nd amendment rights. It remains alive.

HB 9 purports to result in the closure of ICE facilities in New Mexico. The good news is that there are numerous workarounds that will likely stave off closure of these three facilities.

MLG’s plans for “free” childcare are included in the budget, but they include copays for those with higher incomes. While we oppose MLG’s plans to provide taxpayer-funded “free” child care for ALL New Mexicans, the Legislature DOES seem reticent to give MLG everything she wants. This is a dynamic situation.

While there are plenty of very bad ideas still active in the session and at least so far medical malpractice reform remains a serious challenge, we remain hopeful that the worst bills of 2026 can be stopped. We appreciate YOUR help by reaching out to legislators.