FIRST RESPONDER RETIREE HEALTH PREMIUMS

SB 476 exempts first responders with at least 20 years of service (including law enforcement, firefighters, and EMTs) from paying premiums or fees to participate in New Mexico's Retiree Health Care Act. The bill modifies existing law (Section 10-7C-13) to remove this financial requirement for qualifying retirees. It appropriates $7.5 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to cover the cost of this exemption, with unspent funds reverting to the general fund. The bill was referred to committees but was postponed indefinitely on June 3, 2025.