CVNM’s 2025 Legislative Session Outcomes

This summary is divided into six sections:

1. Priorities for New Mexico state budget appropriations
2. Pro-conservation legislation that passed and was enacted
3. Pro-conservation legislation that passed and was not enacted
4. Pro-conservation legislation that didn’t pass
5. Anti-conservation legislation that passed
6. Anti-conservation legislation that didn’t pass

**Starred bills are high priority. Votes on these measures may be weighted on CVNM’s Conservation Scorecard.

 

1. Priorities for New Mexico state budget appropriations

Every year, CVNM advocates for meeting, or sometimes exceeding, the budget requests from climate and conservation agencies, especially the New Mexico Environment Department and the Energy Minerals and Natural Resources Department. This year, there are a number of special appropriations that CVNM supports, either as written or with the request that they receive additional funding. This includes some funding that was removed from a funding bill and placed into HB 2: General Appropriations for 2025. Some key examples of these funding requests with specific agencies are: 

• Department of Finance and Administration, $72 million for the NM Match Fund
• Economic Development Department, $3 million for the outdoor equity grant program fund
•  Public Regulation Commission, $700,000 for the community solar program
• Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department
  • $8 million for the state supplemental land and water conservation fund
  • $5 million for the community energy efficiency block grant statewide
• Office of the State Engineer
  • $1 million for regional water planning
  • $5 million to implement the Water Security Planning Act, the fifty-year water action plan and modernization of agency online information and engagement tools
• Department of Environment
  • $20 million for the investigation and remediation of neglected contaminated sites
  • $5.7 million to match federal funding and conduct clean up of superfund sites and costs associated with the Terrero mine
• Department of Transportation, $50 million for the Wildlife Corridors Fund
• NMSU, $1.2 million to the Department of Agriculture for the acequia and community ditch fund
• New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
  • $2 million to implement the Water Data Act
  • $7.5 million for the characterization of groundwater and aquifer monitoring

CVNM also supported the following complimentary capital outlay funds included in HB 450 (Lente):

• $5 million for the River Stewardship Program through the Environment Department
• $10 million for electric vehicle charging infrastructure through the Department of Transportation
• $16 million for orphan wells plugging and remediation through Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department
• $10 million for watershed restoration through Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department
• $2.5 million or acequia and community ditch improvements through the Interstate Stream Commission
• $1.5 million for alternative fuel charging stations through the Public Education Department
• $7 million for river and habitat restoration through the Office of the State Engineer

$1 million for surface and groundwater measuring through the Office of the State Engineer

2. Pro-Conservation Legislation that Passed and was enacted 

HB 91: Public Utility Rate Structure (Ortez/Roybal Caballero/Lujan; Stewart) This bill allows investor-owned utilities (like PNM) to provide New Mexico’s most vulnerable residents with lower electric and gas bills. Over 20 states, including neighboring Arizona and Colorado, have implemented low-income utility rate programs to reduce energy burdens. This matters because New Mexicans below the federal poverty level living, for example, in Socorro, De Baca, Mora, Taos and Rio Arriba Counties pay on average 26% or more of their income on energy bills. HB 91 passed the House 42-25, and passed the Senate 26-16 and has been signed by the Governor.

HB 93: Advanced Grid Technology Plans (Ortez/Roybal Caballero; Padilla) This legislation allows utilities to take advantage of technologies that increase capacity on existing transmission lines. This legislation also allows utilities to receive cost recovery in the same way that they would if they were establishing new transmission capacity. This bill supports our state’s electrification goals as we work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per Governor Lujan Grisham’s 2019 climate executive order. HB 93 passed the House 42-8, and passed the Senate 37-4 and has been signed by the Governor.

HB 128: NMFA Local Solar Access Fund (Szczepanski/Roybal Caballero/Lujan/Hernandez; Pope) This bill establishes a grant fund at the New Mexico Finance Authority to provide planning and implementation grants for solar and storage projects aimed at powering public buildings such as community centers, libraries, schools, and fire stations. It also supports infrastructure projects, including water systems, wastewater management, and street lighting. Grants will be available to tribes, counties, municipalities, school districts, and land grants. HB 128 passed the House 43-22, and passed the Senate 24-16 and has been signed by the Governor.

HB 175: Forest & Watershed Buffer Projects (Vincent/Ortez/Terrazas/Dow) As we have seen over the past few years, including this summer in Ruidoso, wildfires in the state are getting worse and more frequent, with continued detriment to our communities. The amendments in this bill to the Forest & Restoration Act allow for more areas and more communities to be included that can access the funding for buffer and restoration projects, increasing protections for homes and businesses from wildfires. HB 175 passed the House 56-2, and passed the Senate 36-0 and has been signed by the Governor. 

HB 212: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Protection Act (Ferrary/Sarinaña/Cates/Hochman-Vigil; Steinborn) Per- and Polyfluoroalkyls, or PFAS, are “forever chemicals,” meaning they stay in the water, materials, and human bodies forever. By implementing guidelines, banning deliberate additions of PFAS, and putting warning labels on products, the bill will help public education on what these chemicals are, and help protect people and our products from containing more harmful chemicals. HB 212 passed the House 62-1, and passed the Senate 37-3 and has been signed by the Governor.

HB 295: Tax on Property Owned by NM RETA (Small/Parajón) This bill is a legislative fix to tax policy that ensures lessees of New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA) properties for transmission and other renewable energy projects are tax-exempt. This tax exemption is one of the benefits of partnering with RETA and should be preserved. This bill supports our state’s electrification goals as we work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per Governor Lujan Grisham’s 2019 climate executive order. HB 295 passed the House 38-27, and passed the Senate 22-18 and has been signed by the Governor.

HB 308: Remove MRGCD From Local Election Act (Lente/Armstrong/Woods) This bill ensures fair and equitable access to all Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) residents in the election process. This bill is particularly vital to the six Middle Rio Grande Pueblos’ participation, and ensuring that the district can properly function given the complexities of this area. HB 308 passed the House 55-6, and passed the Senate 38-0, and has been signed by the Governor. 

SB 5: Department of Game & Fish Modernization (Campos/Wirth/Brantley; McQueen/Small)**

This legislative package contains three main parts; 

1. update the Department of Game & Fish mission and ability to conserve species before they need to be listed as threatened or endangered, 
2. ensure all State Game Commissioners are well qualified and are a reflection of the constituencies that they are meant to represent, 
3. provide funding to sustain our hunting and fishing traditions while improving wildlife conditions. 

The goal of these changes is to more accurately reflect the great conservation work the department already does, while bringing it into the 21st century. It provides the funding necessary for regular function and ensures greater public involvement. All of these components are things that the public has shown broad support for. SB 5 passed the Senate 28-12, and passed the House 42-26. The Governor issued a partial veto on SB 5 on the Game Commission removal process, but signed the majority of the bill.

SB 16: Non-Major Party Voters in Primary Elections (Figueroa/Wirth; Cates/Parajon/Rubio) This legislation allows voters who are not registered as a member of a major political party to participate in the primary election process. Voters who are registered Decline To State (DTS) or with a minor party will be able to participate in New Mexico’s primary elections by requesting to vote with a major party’s ballot. Currently, in order to vote in a primary election, these voters must change their registration by registering with one of the parties. This legislation results in more participation in our democratic process – as of 2024 about 24.4% of New Mexicans were registered DTS or with a minor party. This change will also be fairer to New Mexican taxpayers whose taxes are used to run primary elections, but who are not able to participate in those elections because of their registration status. SB 16 passed the Senate 27-11, and passed the House 36-33 and has been signed by the Governor.

SB 21: Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act (Wirth/Gonzales; Ortez)** SB 21 combines SB 21 and SB 22 into one program. It protects the state’s waters by authorizing key components of a state permitting program for waters no longer protected by the federal Clean Water Act – which includes streams that do not flow year-round, like many of our streams in New Mexico, as well as most wetlands. This bill also transfers water pollution prevention permitting to New Mexico that is currently done by the EPA for waters still federally protected. Currently, about 95% of rivers and streams and 88% of wetlands in New Mexico are unprotected since the changes to the Clean Water Act. That means that not only are all those waterways vulnerable to pollution, but so are our communities, farmers, and wildlife. The framework created by this bill allows the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to administer a Surface Water Permitting program, and therefore have local New Mexican control over protecting these waters from pollution. Thanks to the legislature, NMED received $7.6 million in the 2024 legislative session to support the development of such a program. Now, with these two pieces of legislation, NMED will have the legal foundation for long term protection of our sacred waterways in New Mexico. SB 21 passed the Senate 25-16, and passed the House 43-25 and has been signed by the Governor.

SB 23: Oil & Gas Royalty Rate Changes (Muñoz/Stefanics; McQueen/Martínez)** This legislation supports the primary purpose of the State Land Office, to make money. The funds raised by this office support our public schools and other state institutions, but the Oil & Gas Royalty Rate has not been updated by the Legislature since the 1970s. By updating our royalty rates on the most productive parcels, we will be in line with the private market rate being charged in both Texas and New Mexico, in addition to the 25% rate on Texas’ state lands. Ultimately, the State Land Office has a legal mandate to earn money for education, and this is concrete legislation that allows them to charge the appropriate royalty rates on new parcels to support our children across New Mexico. SB 23 passed the Senate 21-15, and passed the House 37-31 and has been signed by the Governor.

SB 33: Wildfire Prepared Act (Stefanics; Vincent/Ortez/Gonzales) In recent years we have continually seen the damage wildfires can cause in New Mexico: for example, the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon, Black, and South Fork fires. This bill helps our communities be in a better position to deal with potential wildfires, and mitigate the fuels and other factors that can lead to overwhelming, ultra-destructive fires. Passing this legislation will provide a lot of help to New Mexico and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) wildfire preparedness. SB 33 passed the Senate 37-0, and passed the House 63-1 and has been signed by the Governor.

SB 36: Sensitive Personal Information Nondisclosure (Sedillo Lopez/Stefanics; Parajón/Herndon) Conservation Voters New Mexico understands that the immigrant and asylee crisis happening worldwide is in part because of the disastrous impacts of the climate crisis. As such, we believe that immigrants and asylees in the United States deserve our compassion, welcome, and protection. This protection should extend to state and government departments which have access to sensitive and/or personal information which could be shared or sold unlawfully to entities trying to harm everyday New Mexicans. CVNM supported Senate Bill 36 as a good government reform that protects all New Mexicans’ personal and sensitive information from misuse by government employees. New Mexicans of all backgrounds should have faith that our state government will always look out for us–whether protecting us from bad actors in hostile agencies, or from the mismanagement of our land, air and water. This bill merely creates a consistent process for how and when state agencies share sensitive personal information about us; that is good for anyone who lives, works and/or plays in New Mexico’s land, air and water. SB 36 passed the Senate 26-14, and passed the House 42-23 and has been signed by the Governor.

SB 37: Strategic Water Reserve (Stefanics/Wirth; Dixon/McQueen)** The Strategic Water Reserve (SWR) is a tool that the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (ISC) can utilize to keep water in streams through subleasing from willing sellers or lessors around the state. Currently there are two primary supported beneficial uses for this  – supporting compact compliance and protecting endangered species. Adding in supplementary benefit language and creating a place to hold funding will allow the ISC to more effectively utilize this program, and help keep water in streams, support aquifer recharge and benefit overall ecosystem and community health. SB 37 passed the Senate 25-15, and passed the House 42-20 and has been signed by the Governor.

SB 48: Community Benefit Fund (Stewart/Szczepanski)** SB 48 establishes the Community Benefit Fund to invest $210 million in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by climate change, providing resources for renewable energy projects, energy efficiency upgrades, and other projects that reduce carbon pollution. SB 48 passed the Senate 23-15, and passed the House 39-26 and has been signed by the Governor.

SB 83: Innovation in State Government Fund (Stewart/Berghmans)** This legislation provides $13.5 million in funding to state agencies to support efforts to reduce carbon emissions. This funding strengthens our state’s capacity through investments in agencies and staff, enabling effective enforcement of clean energy policies and ensuring New Mexico meets its emissions and sustainability goals. SB 83 passed the Senate 26-14, and passed the House 31-25 and has been signed by the Governor.

 

2. Pro-Conservation Legislation that Passed and has not been enacted 

HB 64: Expand Post-Secondary Tuition Eligibility (Chávez/Trujillo/Gurrola/Roybal Caballero) This bill amends the state’s non-discrimination and tuition equity law to allow adult immigrant workers and taxpayers access to in-state tuition and financial aid for credit and non-credit training programs at community colleges. The amendments extend eligibility to those who have attended adult education programs in New Mexico for at least a year, worked and filed state tax returns, or are applying for Special Juvenile Immigrant Status. Expanding eligibility to in-state tuition and financial aid will result in more New Mexican workers undertaking additional workplace training and/or obtaining a certification within a high-demand industry such as the renewable energy sector. Part of connecting everyday New Mexicans to their political power to protect our land, air, and water requires equal opportunities to pursue education and employment, especially as we continue to pursue Just Transition opportunities for ALL New Mexicans. We must advocate for all of our people to have access to education and information that equips them to take on participation in our government and economy. HB 64 passed the House 37-19, and passed the Senate 23-14 and was pocket vetoed. 

HB 120: Accessibility of State Agencies (Lujan/Cates/Roybal Caballero/Borrego) This bill requires state agencies to update their website, mobile application and physical facilities to comply with “digital and physical accessibility standards.” It also creates the Office of Accessibility to carry out and implement the accessibility act and create an appropriation to fund this act. Our state Government should act on behalf of the people, but that cannot happen if large portions of the population can’t communicate with the government because of lack of accessibility. HB 120 passed the House 60-3, and passed the Senate 40-0 and was vetoed. 

HB 219: Slot Canyon Riverlands State Park (Small/Ferrary; Steinborn) Access to public lands improves community health, economic prosperity, and overall enjoyment of a place. This bill adds another state park in Southern New Mexico and will bring positive benefits to the area and the state overall. HB 219 passed the House 48-16, and passed the Senate 40-0 and was vetoed. 

3. Pro-Conservation Legislation that didn’t Pass

HB 9: Immigrant Safety Act (Chávez/Rubio/Romero/Anaya/Chandler) The Immigrant Safety Act would have closed loopholes which allow ICE the usage of local governments to bypass safety oversight. This bill would have also aided in preventing the massive documented and undocumented human rights violations which occur in all detention centers in New Mexico and across the U.S. & Mexico border. We strongly supported this legislation because we know the climate crisis impacts everyone. Those people in danger of being deported are also the most likely communities to experience the acute impacts of climate change in the countries they are from, including severe weather events and prolonged drought. Additionally, the extractive industries that profit from undocumented labor are among the first to scapegoat immigrants for economic problems, turning their backs on the people who produce their profits. This federal administration has an inhumane approach to immigration that the State of New Mexico and our facilities should not participate in nor make space for. As conservationists, we have learned that standing up to care for our air, lands and waters also means standing up for our communities. HB 9 passed the House 35-25, but died in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

HB 11: Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (Chandler/Serrato/Roybal Caballero/Martínez; Stewart) As the climate crisis worsens, the spread of illness and potential for future pandemics is predicted to increase substantially. This bill would have created a statewide insurance system that employers and employees pay into with a small fee. It would have allowed New Mexicans to take leave for illness, new children, or to care for a sick family member. HB 11 would have provided security for impacted workers, allowing them to take the time needed to recover without risk of losing their job, resulting in more climate resilient communities. HB 11 passed the House 38-31, but died in the Senate Finance Committee. 

HB 13: Distribution System and Electrification Plans (Hochman-Vigil/Ortez; Trujillo) This legislation would have helped customers electrify buildings by allowing utilities to propose programs subject to Public Regulation Commission (PRC) review and approval that help customers adopt efficient electric appliances such as heat pumps. This bill would have supported our state’s electrification goals as we work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per Governor Lujan Grisham’s 2019 climate executive order. HB 13 passed the House 36-23, but died in the Senate Tax, Business & Transportation Committee. 

HB 27: Librarian Protection Act (Cates/Johnson/Parajon/Anaya; Pope) This bill would have put protective measures into place for librarians by requiring that all libraries have a written process for removing material from their shelves, guarding against the banning of books in public and school libraries. Political activists have used complaints and misinformation to remove access to scientific knowledge in an effort to bolster their disinformation campaigns. We support equitable access to information for all community members. Our tax-payer dollars should not be funding any library that uses partisan and political frameworks to decrease access to information. HB 27 died waiting to be scheduled on the House Floor.

HB 32: Electric or Alt Fuel School Busses (Sariñana/Gurrola/Lujan; Stewart/Soules) This bill would have allowed schools to choose to replace diesel school buses with alternative fuel or electric buses. The Public Education Department would also have been required to provide funding for non-diesel buses, up to the cost of diesel replacement. Additionally, HB 32 would have allowed schools to increase revenue by selling energy produced through vehicle-to-grid agreements with local electric utilities. This bill was in line with the Governor’s 2019 climate executive order and would help reduce children’s exposure to diesel air pollution. HB 32 died waiting to be scheduled on the House Floor.

HB 35: Children’s Health Protection Zones (Sariñana/Ferrary) This bill would have established a 1-mile setback for new oil and gas facilities from schools. Additional controls, monitoring, and reporting would have been required for existing facilities. This bill aimed to protect the health and well-being of children who attend schools within 1 mile of active and unplugged oil and gas production sites and are at greater risk of negative health impacts from air pollution. Currently, over 34,000 children attend schools within 1 mile of active and unplugged oil and gas production sites, and over 80 schools in southeastern and northwestern New Mexico are within 1 mile of active oil and gas wells. HB 35 died in the House Judiciary Committee. 

HB 51: Energy Storage System Income Tax Credit (Sariñana) Presently, New Mexico has 50,000 solar systems on homes and businesses, but only 1% have energy storage. Storage can capture energy for future use, which is essential for the renewable energy transition. HB 51 would have provided an incentive to jump-start the energy storage piece of the renewable energy industry and enhance the resilience of homes and businesses during power grid outages, ensuring a more reliable supply of electricity. HB 51 died in the House Taxation & Revenue Committee. 

HB 60: Artificial Intelligence Act (Chandler/Romero/Sariñana; Trujillo/Berghmans) This legislation would have created the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, a comprehensive attempt to put guardrails on developing and using AI systems to protect New Mexicans. HB 60 would have required disclosure of the use of AI, documentation of AI systems being used, disclosure of ways that AI can discriminate against people (algorithmic discrimination), incidents where that may have happened, and risk management policies. AI is still a brand-new technology, affecting our lives more and more each day in unexpected ways. The Artificial Intelligence Act would have been an excellent step to help protect New Mexicans from the dangers of this technology while also enjoying the benefits. HB 60 died waiting to be scheduled on the House Floor.

HB 75: County & Tribal Health Councils Funding (Thomson/Hernandez/Johnson; Stefanics/Lopez)New Mexico has a centralized public health system with NMDOH responsible for public health, rather than each county having individual public health authority. This bill would have appropriated $43M from the general fund to the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) for fiscal year 2026 to fund and support county and tribal health councils statewide. County and tribal health councils are essential on-the-ground support systems for NMDOH through community engagement, public health intervention and prevention efforts, and reducing health disparities. As the impacts of climate change increase, county and tribal health councils will be essential pieces of the public health system to protect and improve the health and well-being of New Mexicans. HB 75 died in the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. 

HB 88: Electric Vehicle Charging Station Zoning Act (Hochman-Vigil) This bill would have increased the efficiency of approving new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations by establishing the installation of EV charging stations as permitted uses that do not require a use variance. Additionally, this bill would have established an expedited administrative review process to approve applications for permits to install EV charging stations. This bill would have supported our state’s electrification goals as we work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per Governor Lujan Grisham’s 2019 climate executive order. HB 88 died in the House Transportation, Public Works & Capital Improvements Committee. 

HB 92/SB 108: Water Quality Construction Projects Funding (Ortez/Sariñana/Dow) The funding for this bill would have gone to the River Stewardship Program – a successful program focused on grants to communities, acequias, and tribes for infrastructure projects to improve water quality, and habitat/riparian restoration. Providing more funding for this program helps support wildlife, recreation, drinking water quality, protecting water supply, and so much more. While technically not passed, HB 92 lived on in the capital outlay bill, HB 450. $5 million was appropriated to the River Stewardship Program in HB 450.

HB 108: Statewide Public Health and Climate Program (Ortez/Szczepanski/Martínez; Stefanics)** New Mexico is getting hotter and the frequency and intensity  of extreme weather events are increasing. HB 108  would have been key to protecting the health of New Mexicans, which is increasingly at risk from climate change. These include heat waves, wildfires, poor air quality, severe storms, flooding, water contamination, water scarcity, drought, agricultural disruption, and more disease-spreading insects like mosquitoes. With HB 108, the New Mexico Department of Health would have been better equipped to track the health impacts linked to climate change among those most at risk like our children, communities of color, older adults, people with disabilities, unhoused people, and families earning low incomes. HB 108 died in the House Appropriations & Finance Committee. 

HB 109: Extreme Weather Resilience Fund (Ortez/Szczepanski; Stefanics)** This legislation would have established the Extreme Weather Resilience Fund at $12 million to assist and enable local and tribal nations to prepare for and respond to public health risks related to climate change. At least 50% of the fund would have been dedicated to small communities like Mora, Ruidoso, Gallup, and Roswell. Grants from the fund would be up to $1 million with no match required, and these grants could be used to leverage federal or other funds. HB 109 died in the House Appropriations & Finance Committee. 

HB 126: Soil & Water Conservation Districts Funding (Chatfield/Gonzales) Soil & water conservation districts work all over the state to help support and protect water resources, land, and agriculture. They have been underfunded in recent years, and needed this special appropriation to help support their regular functioning. While technically not passed, HB 126 lived on and was funded in the state budget bill, HB 2.

HB 148: Autonomous Vehicle Act (Hochman-Vigil) This legislation would have amended the New Mexico motor vehicle code to add a new Act that regulates autonomous (“self-driving”) vehicles, which are primarily electric cars. It would mandate that, until 2036, self-driving vehicles shall not be operated on public highways in New Mexico unless a human operator is physically present behind the steering wheel of the vehicle and has the ability at all times to take immediate control of the vehicle. It would also have set some safety requirement standards for these vehicles. Self-driving vehicles are still a very new technology with a poor safety record, and until the technology matures this common sense legislation will help save New Mexican lives. HB 148 died in the House Transportation, Public Works & Capital Improvements Committee. 

HB 208: Hunting & Fishing License Voter Registration (Dow/Vincent/Chatfield/Murphy/Duncan) This bill would have allowed voter registration when obtaining a hunting or fishing license. HB 208 would have increased voter registration and accessibility, particularly in rural communities. HB 208 passed the House 63-0, but died in the Senate Rules Committee. 

HB 257: Oil & Gas Well Transfer Rulemaking (McQueen/Ortez) This bill would have protected the State of New Mexico and its taxpayers against the risk of marginal operators taking over marginal wells, potentially leaving the state liable for plugging, abandonment, and clean up when the well has reached its end of life and the marginal operator goes out of business, becomes bankrupt or otherwise abandons the well. HB 257 died in the House Energy, Environment, & Natural Resources Committee.

HB 258: Natural Gas Capture Requirements (McQueen/Ortez) This bill would have codified into statute the requirement in the Methane Waste Rule, passed in 2021, for gas well operators to capture 98% of the methane waste generated from their operations. Codifying the rule would have ensured the minimum requirements of the rule would be in statute and protect against excess methane — a significant contributor to climate change — being emitted. HB 258 died on the House Floor.

HB 259: Oil & Gas Act Violation Penalties (McQueen/Ortez; Jaramillo) This bill would have increased civil penalties for oil and gas operators who violate the Oil and Gas Act and rules, bringing those penalties closer in line with those in other environmental statutes. The penalties currently in the Oil and Gas Act are insufficient and do not adequately deter violations of the law. HB 259 died in the House Appropriations & Finance Committee.

HB 307/SB 420: Community Safety & Privacy Act (Herndon/Rubio/Romero; Stefanics)** The Community Safety & Privacy Act (CSPA) was a much-needed reform to the largely unrestricted collection, trade, and sale of personal information about New Mexicans. CSPA would have required online entities to narrow the types of data they collect and would have required clear consent—opt-in—to share, sell, or trade that data with other entities. Limiting data collection is the only meaningful step to stem unchecked targeted advertising online, which has led to rampant disinformation campaigns to undermine scientific knowledge, transparent elections, and our work as conservationists. This bill was about individuals having autonomy over their information, their habits, and their personal lives. HB 307 would also have limited harmful targeted advertising that has created a market for misinformation and disinformation that preys on people who don’t know profiles are being created about them without their consent. CSPA would have been a critical protection for all New Mexicans whose identity, history, or work is under attack by hostile states and/or the federal administration. HB 307 died in the House Commerce & Economic Development Committee. 

HB 310: Responsible Electric Car Battery End of Life (Ortez/Romero/Hernandez) This bill would have benefited New Mexico’s environment by reducing emissions associated with new battery production, relieving pressure on critical mineral mining, enacting best practices for the recycling of EV batteries, and ensuring that batteries stay out of landfills. HB 310 would have provided economic benefits by bolstering local economies handling these batteries and maximizing the batteries’ economic value through reuse, repurposing, and remanufacturing. Additionally, HB 310l aligned with national bipartisan interest to ease reliance on foreign sources of critical minerals. HB 310 died in the House Judiciary Committee.

HB 330/SB 374: Land Grant-Merced & Acequia Infrastructure (Garcia/Jaramillo/Martinez) This bill would have created a Land Grant-Merced Fund and an Acequia Infrastructure fund to set aside 2.2% of the severance tax bond capacity for what are currently underfunded infrastructure projects. Currently acequia infrastructure projects have an unmet need of over $75 million, making this a critical investment for acequia and land grant communities to appropriately address their needs. Passing this legislation would have allowed us to continue to support and protect our traditional communities and their economies. HB 330 passed the House 47-6, but died in the Senate Finance Committee. SB 374 died in the Senate Finance Committee.

HB 333/SB 260: Cleanup of Contaminated Sites (Hernandez/Johnson/Duncan/Lente/Abeyta) This bill’s $50 million appropriation to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) would have supported assessment and clean up of abandoned contaminated sites, like uranium mining sites. These sites are routinely negligently abandoned by private companies, leaving the New Mexico taxpayer on the hook for clean up costs and endangering the health and well-being of frontline communities. This funding was needed to begin to rectify the harm done by these mining companies. HB 333 would have provided NMED with initial resources needed to protect public health and the environment. While technically not passed, HB 333/SBD 260 lived on and was funded in the state budget bill, HB 2, with an appropriation of $20 million.

HB 339: Housing Discrimination & Human Rights Act (Rubio/Romero) The Housing Discrimination & Human Rights Act would have prohibited discriminatory housing practices. There is no doubt that we are experiencing a homelessness crisis. As climate change continues to bring catastrophes to our communities, those who are unhoused are the first to feel its harms and they most often experience the worst of them. While local, state and federal governments are investing in housing subsidies for those most in need, landlords everywhere are permitted  to, and do, refuse to rent to those receiving these subsidies. This bill would have prevented that discriminatory practice, which contributes to the increasing cycle of homelessness we see today in our various counties. Because people are losing their lives to climate catastrophes every day, we are in strong support of this legislation to prevent more New Mexicans from dying, from being unhoused, and from suffering health disparities while we continue to work to address the climate crisis more holistically. HB 339 passed the House 42-24, but died in the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

HB 348/SB 210: Water Law Violation Penalty (Ortez/McQueen/Cates/Townsend) Currently, when people overuse water from what they are allocated, there are minimal monetary fines imposed on them. This bill would have increased the fines to people who over divert their water, which would have encouraged people to be more conscious of the amount of water they are utilizing. If we are to address the dwindling water supply issues in New Mexico, we need to make sure that people are not using more than their fair share of water resources. HB 348 passed the House 51-0, but died waiting to be heard on the Senate Floor. 

HB 423: Water Security Planning Act Funds (Sariñana/Garratt/Gurrola) This legislation outlined various appropriations requests to support the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer for various key programs and projects. Those programs include Regional Water Planning (over the last year we have seen robust engagement and work being done all over the state); continued work on the Water Data Act; as well as support for compact compliance obligations. HB 423 died in the House Appropriations & Finance Committee.

HB 426: Mobile Home Park Sale Notices (Parajón/Matthews/Maestas/Romero/Silva) This bill would have required the owner of a Mobile Home Park to offer the First Right of Refusal to the current tenants if they decide to sell the property. As more and more New Mexicans experience the increase in housing costs, due to economic instability created in part by climate change, mobile homes become a more viable option. Too often, the land in a mobile home park is bought by developers who then remove tenants and their mobile homes. We can prevent homelessness and limit the number of corporate developers who replace Mobile Home Parks with corporate entities that do not provide affordable housing and who do not act as socially conscious partners. Allowing these homeowners to keep their homes in these areas would have limited large-scale building projects that increase urban heat island effects, green space elimination and potential small habitat destruction. Stable housing is not only a human right, it is necessary for us to protect our communities from corporate interests, as well as the potential unintended consequences of property purchases. HB 426 passed the House 37-26, but died in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

HB 481: Costs of Plugging & Abandonment of Wells (McQueen) This bill would have saved the New Mexico taxpayer money by requiring oil and gas operators to reimburse the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department for costs associated with plugging abandoned wells and other remediation and restoration costs. This bill would have held oil and gas companies accountable for their actions to protect environmental and public health. HB 481 died in the House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Committee.

HB 482: Community Water System Assistance Project (Herrera/Cates/Gonzales/Abeyta/Lara) This bill outlined a pilot program for three years that would have helped support water and wastewater system needs in communities across the state. Participants in this pilot program would have received technical, financial and managerial operations assistance, administered through the Department of Finance Authority. The bill included an appropriations request of $900,000 for this program. HB 482 died in the House Appropriations & Finance Committee.

HB 569: Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project (Johnson/Lundstrom) This legislation would have appropriated $10,000,000 to plan, design and construct the Navajo-Gallup water supply project regional water line which would have served the following twelve Navajo chapters: Coyote Canyon, Tse’ii’ahi’, Nahodishgish, Crownpoint, Becenti, Lake Valley, White Rock, Little Water, Casamero Lake, Smith Lake, Baca/Prewitt and Thoreau. HB 569 died in the House Appropriations & Finance Committee.

HJR 3/SJR 4: Environmental Rights, CA (Ferrary/Roybal Caballero/Hernandez; Sedillo Lopez/Pope) HJR 3 would have constitutionally mandated that state and local decision-makers protect the environmental rights of all New Mexicans. This would have given communities experiencing environmental injustice legal recourse to protect the air and water they breathe, and ensure that government decisions prioritize environmental protection for all. HJR 3 died in the House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Committee. SJR 4 died in the Senate Rules Committee.

HJR 18/SJR 1: Legislative Salaries Commission, CA (Rubio/Garratt/Anaya) This resolution would have amended the New Mexico State Constitution to remove the language that denies compensation (salaries) for Legislators. New Mexico is the last remaining state in the Union that does not pay legislators salaries. This resolution would have given power back to the people of New Mexico by making it far easier for everyday New Mexicans to serve as Legislators, providing better representation to our communities. HJR 18 died in the House Government, Elections, & Indian Affairs Committee. SJR 1 died in the Senate Finance Committee.

SB 4: Clear Horizons & Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Stewart/Ortez/Romero)** New Mexico is a major oil and gas producer with a responsibility to codify net-zero emissions by 2050, which would have helped reduce global warming and impacts of climate change that affect all New Mexicans. For example, our warming climate has led to hotter classrooms and school buses for our students and teachers, negatively impacting their performance and mental health. In outdoor recreation, climate change threatens this $2.4 billion industry of 28,000 jobs by reducing water flows for anglers, rafters, and wildlife. In public health, heat-related illnesses and death will continue to increase, especially for our elders and most vulnerable communities. In our rural communities, farmworkers are 35 times more likely to die from heat than other workers. And, finally, oil and gas production threatens the health of the nearly 150,000 New Mexicans living less than a mile from oil and gas facilities, strains dwindling water supplies, creates toxic oil and gas wastewater (also called produced water or industrial water) and directly contributes to air pollution and climate change. SB 4 died in the Senate Finance Committee. 

SB 108/HB 92: Water & Wetland Improvement Projects (Stefanics/Gonzales; Ortez) see HB 92

SB 125: School Building System Innovation Projects (Padilla) This bill would have set aside $10M to be used to upgrade and repair heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and electrical systems in New Mexico public schools. When applying for the grant money, school districts must focus on replacement systems that would have extended the useful life of the building, promote student health and safety, promote environmental improvement and reduce the costs of energy consumption. This legislation would have been an investment in the health and education of our children, the next generation. SB 125 died in the Senate Education Committee. 

SB 156: Low-Income Utility Users (Stefanics/Wirth; Ortez/Romero/Roybal Caballero) This bill would have provided stability and financial predictability for low-income solar system owners. While the majority of rooftop solar owners nationwide are middle and upper income, programs such as Solar For All provide opportunities for meaningful bill savings through grants, leases, or loans to get solar on roofs of low-income households. An estimated 5,000 low income households could receive residential leased or owned systems through Solar for All over the next 4 years. These systems would have 20-25 year lifetimes, generating $10,000 – $20,000 in cumulative bill savings for a low-income household. The economic savings of this program could be lost if a utility imposes rate riders to net metered solar customers. SB 156 died waiting to be scheduled on the Senate Floor. 

SB 188: Rooftop Solar Panel Installation Complaints (Woods/Stefanics/Hamblen; Zamora) This legislation would have required the New Mexico Department of Justice to set up a consumer complaints section on their website dedicated to complaints lodged against rooftop solar panel installation companies. Solar energy is the cleanest and cheapest energy source that exists. Solar panel installation companies that scam or deceive customers must be held accountable for hurting New Mexicans who  want to improve their lives through solar energy. SB 188 died in the Senate Finance Committee. 

SB 208: Irrigation Works Fund Annual Transfer (Campos; Sanchez/Herrera) The Acequia and Community Ditch funding is essential for acequia projects, administered through the Acequia Bureau at the Interstate Stream Commission (ISC). This bill would have addressed the need for annual funding for the Acequia and Community Ditch Infrastructure Fund, and increased the total  to $5 million. This program is the only source of funding for infrastructure projects for acequias, and is so effective that the number of applicants exceeds the amount of funding each year. SB 208 died in the Senate Finance Committee. 

SB 210/HB 348: Max Penalty for Water Law Violation (Campos) see HB 348

SB 250: State Enforcement of Immigration Law (Maestas/Lopez; Nava/Rubio/Gurrola)** SB 250 would have prohibited local entities in New Mexico from wasting state resources to enforce racist federal immigration laws. New Mexican values call us to welcome these refugees and asylees who have been displaced due in part to the global climate crisis, not to cause further harm under the direction of an anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ, anti-environmental federal administration. Federal immigration enforcement often includes border wall construction, surveillance infrastructure, and increased policing—activities that have environmental consequences, such as habitat destruction and water resource depletion. By limiting state and local cooperation with federal immigration policies, SB 250 could have reduced the environmental damage associated with militarized border enforcement. SB 250 died waiting to be scheduled on the Senate Floor. 

SB 260/HB 333: Cleanup of Contaminated Sites (Steinborn/Pinto/Charley/Shendo/Lopez) see HB 333

SB 276: Uranium Mining Reclamation Revolving Fund (Pinto/Steinborn; Garcia/Ferrary) This amended bill would have added $75 million to the Uranium Mining Reclamation Revolving Fund. This funding is necessary to support the New Mexico Environment Department’s Uranium Mine Cleanup Program in cleaning up 50 uranium mines that pose an active threat to human and environmental health, especially to frontline communities. SB 276 died in the Senate Finance Committee. 

SB 356: State Diversity Act (Pinto/Lopez/Sedillo Lopez/Pope) The State Diversity Act would have created processes within state government to ensure that the State Personnel Office has a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion approach to filling critical state jobs. By acknowledging and finding solutions for the reality of systemic racism in a majority BIPOC state, we can connect our most impacted communities to their political power. Our diverse communities will show up to protect our land, air and water when they know that the state government looks like them and will act in partnership with them. This bill also aligned with Conservation Voters New Mexico’s Equity Commitments, which highlight our need to center those most impacted in the policy solutions we pursue. SB 356 died in the Senate Finance Committee. 

SB 374/HB 330: Land Grant-Merced & Acequia Infrastructure (Jaramillo/Campos/Gonzales) See HB 330

SB 420/HB 307: Community Privacy & Safety Act (Duhigg/Charley; Chandler/Herndon)** See HB 307

SJR 1/HJR 18: Legislative Salaries Commission, CA (Figueroa/Wirth; Garratt/Rubio/Duhigg)** See HJR 18

 JR 4/HJR 3: Environmental Rights, CA (Sedillo Lopez/Pinto/Pope; Torres-Velasquez/Roybal Caballero) See HJR 3

4. Anti-Conservation Legislation that Passed

A number of measures posed great risks to New Mexico’s natural resources – by subsidizing polluters, removing regulations, or encouraging activities that threaten our environment. We urged all Representatives and Senators to OPPOSE these bills, and we are pleased to report that they were all DEFEATED.

5. Anti-Conservation Legislation that didn’t Passed 

HB 44: Protection of Minors from Harmful Material (Block) This bill would have censored the information minors can access online and make information harder to access for adults. This bill would have required internet sites to collect sensitive and personal information to  verify age while using very broad parameters to decide what is considered pornography and/or of a sexual nature. Censorship of information can never be the way we protect young people because censorship is dangerous in itself. This bill would censor scientific, literary, artistic, and political materials/information for minors and make them much harder to access. In a time when disinformation and misinformation are rampant, we must protect access to scientific and factual information not only for young people but for all New Mexicans. HB 44 died in the House Commerce & Economic Development Committee. 

HB 270: Zero-Emission Vehicle Rules (Armstrong/Martinez/Lundstrom/Sanchez/Dow) This bill would have prohibited local and state agencies from adopting a rule to regulate vehicle sales and use in the state based on fuel source. HB 270 would have prohibited agencies from adopting rules restricting new vehicles with an internal combustion engine. This bill also prohibits agencies from adopting rules that establish a percentage of vehicles that should be delivered, used, leased, sold or purchased based on the energy source. HB 270 was an attempt to interfere in a standard rulemaking process and would limit our ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Governor Lujan Grisham’s 2019 executive order on climate. HB 270 was tabled in the House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Committee.

HB 273/HB 327: Certain Natural Gas as Renewable Energy (Pettigrew/Mason/Henry/Murphy) This bill attempted to redefine renewable energy to include non-renewable fossil fuel-based natural gas. This attempt was directly out of the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) playbook. This bill would have significantly changed the Rural Electric Cooperative Act, and limited our ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions according to Governor Lujan Grisham’s 2019 executive order on climate. HB 273 and HB 327 died in the House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Committee. 

HB 328: Repeal Clean Fuel Standards (Pettigrew/Murphy) This bill sought to repeal 2024’s groundbreaking HB 41 Clean Transportation Fuel Standards which was passed after years of advocacy and legislative hearings. The Clean Fuel Transportation Standard is currently entering the rulemaking process at the Environmental Improvement Board. This legislation was an attempt to interfere with an established law, as well as a standard rulemaking process and would have limited our ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions according to Governor Lujan Grisham’s 2019 executive order on climate. HB 328 died in the House Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Committee.

HB 410: Consumer Info & Data Protection Act (Serrato) The Consumer Info & Data Protection Act was written by the same corporate tech entities that oppose consumer or people centered regulations in every area. These big tech companies have opposed environmental regulations, paid leave and worker protections, and now data privacy regulations. HB 410 was a bad bill that created the guise of protecting New Mexicans while actually giving big tech unchecked power to buy, sell and share sensitive personal information including political activity or affiliation about every single New Mexican regardless of the harm it may cause. HB 410 died in the House Judiciary Committee.

HB 563: No Codes Requiring Electric Vehicle Charging (Henry/Montoya) This bill would have restricted efforts to support and increase access to electric vehicle infrastructure through building standards. Ultimately, this bill would have gotten in the way of our state’s electrification goals as we work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per Governor Lujan Grisham’s 2019 climate executive order. HB 563 died in the House Commerce & Economic Development Committee.

HJR 6: Recall of Public Officers, CA (Lord/Block/Duncan) This resolution would have amended the New Mexico State Constitution to create a California-style recall system to remove elected officials in the Executive and Legislative branches. New Mexico does not need a California-style system, which has brought chaos to that state. The resolution would have also allowed the petitioners who instigated the recall to immediately file another recall petition if their first effort is defeated by the voters in an election. HJR 6 died in the House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs Committee. 

HJR 8: Legislative Session Changes, CA (Montoya/Brown/De La Cruz/Terrazas) This resolution would have amended the New Mexico State Constitution to reduce the length of the regular legislative session from 60 days to 45 days. New Mexico already has some of the shortest legislative session lengths in the nation. Any New Mexican who has participated in the legislative process knows that more time is needed for the critical work of governance, not less. HJR 8 died in the House Judiciary Committee.

SB 87: Use of Resources & Fed. Immigration Law (Brantley/Terrazas/Ramos) This bill would have prevented local communities from refusing to enforce harmful federal immigration policies. At a time when the climate crisis is one of the leading causes of asylum seekers and immigration, this bill would have redirected New Mexico resources to aid in the persecution of people seeking a sustainable life and safety rather than making our communities truly safer. New Mexican values have always been about acceptance, community, and working together; this bill creates the opposite. SB 87 died in the Senate Health & Public Affairs Committee.

SB 114: Game Commission Land Acquisitions (Woods/Pettigrew) Adding more steps to go through prior to acquiring land from willing sellors, donors, grantors or other forms of land or water right gift could have consequences for those wanting to participate in this system. We do not want to limit the ability of private owners to support  land or water conservation efforts of the state, especially when the land or water rights are only acquired from those who are willingly giving those rights back. Creating more steps and processes will hinder conservation efforts and disincentivize people from working with state agencies. SB 114 died in the Senate Conservation Committee.

SB 131: Zero-Emission Vehicle Rules (Woods/Muñoz; Pettigrew/Armstrong/Martinez) This bill would have prohibited the Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) from adopting a rule requiring a manufacturer to produce or deliver a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles for sale. This legislation attempted to interfere with a standard rulemaking process and could have limited our ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Governor Lujan Grisham’s 2019 executive order on climate. SB 131 died in the Senate Conservation Committee.

SB 139: Zero-Emission Vehicle Rule Prohibition (Woods/Munoz; Pettigrew) This bill would have prohibited local and state agencies from adopting a rule to restrict vehicle sales and use in the state based on fuel source. This bill sought to explicitly prohibit agencies from adopting rules that restrict new vehicles with an internal combustion engine. This bill also sought to prohibit agencies from adopting rules that establish a percentage of vehicles that should be delivered, used, leased, sold or purchased based on the energy source. The Clean Fuel Transportation Standard passed during the 2024 legislative session and is currently entering the rulemaking process at the EIB. This legislation was an attempt to interfere in a standard rulemaking process and could have limited our ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions according to Governor Lujan Grisham’s 2019 executive order on climate. SB 139 died in the Senate Conservation Committee.