The New Mexico House and Senate adjourned Thursday, completing a special session called to offset anticipated federal funding cuts to state programs.
Senators adjourned just after noon, while the House remained in session until 5:15 p.m.
All five bills brought up that align with the issues listed in the governor’s proclamation for the special session have cleared both chambers after committee hearings and sometimes hours of discussion and floor debate. Those items included passage of a budget that appropriates funding money to backfill cuts to public broadcasting, as well as state food assistance and healthcare programs impacted by changes emanating from Washington, D.C.
Other topics include measures designed to improve access and limit premium increases for New Mexicans who buy insurance on the state’s exchange, changes to the state’s Rural Healthcare Delivery fund, a bill to authorize the state to formulate its own vaccine standards, and amending a recently enacted criminal competency code.
Republicans had introduced six bills on subjects ranging from fixes to the state’s juvenile justice system, medical malpractice code, reforms to the Children, Youth and Families Department and entering the state into interstate medical licensure compacts for medical professionals.
Below are descriptions of the bills and final vote tallies.
Passed both the New Mexico House and Senate
House Bill 1: General Appropriations Act:
Passed House: 42-24
Passed Senate: 25-13
Sponsors: State Reps. Nathan Small (D-Las Cruces), Meredith Dixon (D-Albuquerque) and Sarah Silva (D-Cruces). Sen. George Munoz (D-Gallup) was also a sponsor.
Description: According to a press release from New Mexico House Democrats, the bill includes $125 million for food assistance, healthcare and public broadcasting. It also contains funding for expenses related to the special session and $100,000 to eventually implement interstate medical licensure compacts that Democrats are vowing to take up during the regular 30-day session in January.
House Bill 2- Health care coverage changes
House passed: 49-13
Senate passed: 39-3
Sponsors: State Reps. Reena Sczcepanski (D-Santa Fe), Charlotte Little (D-Albuquerque) and Marian Matthews (D-Albuquerque). Sens. Carrie Hamblen (D-Las Cruces) and Heather Berghmans (D-Albuquerque).
Description: House Bill 2 is meant to drive down projected rises in health insurance premiums caused by the expected lapse in federal tax credits at the end of the year for those who buy insurance on public health insurance markets. It also removes the existing requirement that those households that receive assistance from the Healthcare Affordability Fund make no more than 400% of the federal poverty level.
Senate Bill 2 – Criminal Competency
Senate passed: 37-0
House passed: 65-3
Sponsors: Sen. Katy Duhigg (D-Albuquerque) and Reps. Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos), Pameleya Herndon (D-Albuquerque) and Michelle Paulene Abeyta (D-Tohajiilee)
Description: The bill allows the metropolitan courts to retain jurisdiction in cases in which a criminal defendant is found to be competent to stand trial.
Senate Bill 1- Healthcare Grants and Stabilization
Senate passed: 39-0
House passed: 65-3
Sponsors: Sens. Elizabeth Liz Stefanics (D- Cerrillos) and Pat Woods (R-Broadview). State Reps. Elizabeth Liz Thompson (D-Albuquerque) and Anita Gonzales (D-Las Vegas)
Description: Senate Bill 1 allows medical practitioners and facilities to use money from the Rural Healthcare Delivery Fund for operational and stabilization costs. It removes a requirement that grant recipients be counties with a population of 100,000 or fewer and allows counties designated by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration as a high-needs geographic health professional shortage area to qualify for those grants.
Note: The bill passed the House Health and Human Services Committee 10-0 on Thursday morning.
Passed: 26-13
House: 43-26
Sponsors: Sens. Linda Lopez (D-Albuquerque) and Cindy Nava (D-Bernalillo). Reps. Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D-Albuquerque), Joy Garratt (D-Albuquerque) and Linda Seratto (D-Santa Fe)
Description: SB 3 allows the state to set its own vaccine standards for children or adhere to those set by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The legislation expands immunizations required for children enrolled in public schools to those in childcare programs.
Found not to be germane
Editor’s note: The State Constitution requires the governor to call a special session for specific items she determines to be too urgent to wait for the regular January session. As such, only topics the governor includes in her proclamation, referred to as “the call,” are allowed. While legislators may introduce other topics, they are considered “not germane” and are not considered.
Senate Bill 4- Child best interests standard
Sponsors: Sens. Crystal Brantley (R-Elephant Butte), David Gallegos (R-Eunice), Anthony Thornton (R-Sandia Park), Nicole Tobiassen (R-Albuquerque) and Joshua Sanchez (R-Veguita)
Description: SB 4 would have established a Best interest of the child standard in cases of child abuse and neglect.
Senate Bill 5- CYFD Secretary Nominating Committee
Sponsors: Sens. Anthony Thornton (R-Sandia Park), Nicole Tobiassen (R-Albuquerque), Joshua Sanchez (R-Veguita), Jay Block (R-Rio Rancho) and Candy Ezzell (R-Roswell).
Description: The legislation would have established a five-member panel to receive applications and consider applicants for the position of Secretary of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department.
Senate Bill 6- Exposure of children to drugs
Sponsors: Sens. Nicole Tobiassen (R-Albuquerque), Joshua Sanchez (R-Veguita), Jay Block (R-Rio Rancho), Candy Ezzell (R-Roswell) and Crystal Brantley (R-Elephant Butte)
Description: The proposal would have made exposure of children to controlled substances child abuse under state law and would allow newborns showing symptoms of prenatal drug exposure.
Senate Bill 7- Child Delinquency changes
Sponsors: Sens. David Gallegos (R-Eunice), Joshua Sanchez(R-Veguita), Nicole Tobiassen (R-Albuquerque) and Crystal Brantley (R-Elepahnte Butte)
Description: The bill would have updated the state’s children’s code related to child delinquency
Senate Bill 8 – Medical Malpractice changes
Sponsors: Sens. Ant Thornton (R-Sandia Park), Crystal Brantley (R-Elephant Butte), Joshua Sanchez (R-Verguita), David Gallegos (R-Eunice) and Jay Block (R-Rio Rancho).
Description: The proposal would have amended the state’s Medical Malpractice Act
Senate Bill 9- Interstate Medical Licensure Compacts
Sponsors: Sens. Nicole Tobiassen (R-Albuquerque), Joshua Sanchez (R-Veguita), Jay Block (R-Rio Rancho), Joshua Sanchez (R-Verguita) and Candy Ezzell (R-Roswell)
Description: The legislation would have entered the state into interstate medical licensure compacts with other states.