New Mexico Legislature 2026 : Full list of bills that passed and failed in the 30 - day session

abqjournal.com · Feb 22, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

Full Article

From crime bills to child care and road funding, here’s what lawmakers passed — and what got left on the Roundhouse cutting-room floor The Roundhouse in Santa Fe, Wednesday, February 4, 2026. Eddie Moore/Journal SANTA FE — Lawmakers debated a wide range of issues during this year’s 30-day legislative session, which ended Thursday. In all, more than 700 bills were filed by lawmakers and 74 were approved and sent to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Here’s a look at what passed — and what did not — at the Roundhouse:Crime/Public safetyPassed: Increase criminal penalty for aggravated battery on a police officer. Remove the time limits for prosecuting criminal sexual contact with children. Expand mental health intervention for defendants deemed to pose a threat. Create legislative truth-finding commission to investigate Zorro Ranch legacy.Failed: Increase criminal penalty for convicted felons in possession of a firearm. Ban the sale of assault weapons and increase requirements for licensed gun dealers. Broaden the definition of “serious youthful offender” to impose stiffer penalties on juveniles accused of certain violent crimes. Permit unsealing of juvenile records in pretrial detention hearings.Health carePassed: Create $10,000 income tax credit for doctors. Revise state's medical malpractice laws by capping punitive damage awards. Increase revenue to state's Health Care Affordability Fund. Provide funding for new University of New Mexico medical school building. Join interstate licensing compacts for physicians and social workers. Increase funding for student loan repayment program for aspiring doctors.Failed: Join interstate licensing compacts for dentists, physical therapists and other professions. Prohibit the use of SNAP benefits for soft drinks and candy. Put more funding into state Medicaid trust fund.EducationPassed: Create a nominating process for recommending university regents. Require teaching reading by using structured literacy model. Establish new office of special education within Public Education Department. Compel school districts to report how many students are in virtual learning programs.Failed: Ban cellphones and other electrical communication devices in classrooms. Limit student restraint and seclusion. Restore state board of education that would appoint state superintendent of schools. Economy/housingPassed: Authorize revenue bonds to purchase property adjacent to state fairgrounds in Albuquerque. Prohibit local governments from contracting federal immigration detention centers. Create tax deduction for materials used in affordable housing projects.Failed: Require black-and-white packaging for cannabis products sold by licensed dispensaries. Extend research and development tax credit. Mandate sale of vacant property in metropolitan areas for new housing projects.Energy/environmentPassed: Increase penalties for water theft violations. Amend the definition of an “advanced energy product” to include fusion energy. Approve funding for quantum energy testing and research. Create new removal process for State Game Commission members. Failed: Enshrine future greenhouse gas emission limits by passing Clear Horizons Act. Increase state regulation of microgrids — or on-site power grids.Elections/ethicsPassed: Bar troops from polling places. Allow legislators to be paid a salary. Permit school bond and mill levy questions to be placed on general election ballots.Failed: Narrow exceptions for bringing guns to polling places. Require identification for voting. Prohibit state senators from drinking alcohol before floor sessions or committee hearings.Roads/TransportationPassed: Allow up to $1.5 billion in bonding to fund road work. Increase vehicle registration fees. Require more driver’s education safety training on pedestrians and cyclists.Failed: Increase gas tax rate. Require motorists to display front and back license plates. Allow Native American residents to obtain special designation on their driver's license.Children/FamiliesPassed: Codify universal child care in state law. Repeal existing abortion reporting requirements. Establish statewide rules about where home-based child care centers can operate.Failed: Create new commission to run Children, Youth and Families Department. Set new regulations for artificial intelligence chatbots. Create pilot program to expand placement options for children in state custody. Pay stipend to stay-at-home parents.Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.