HB 295 New Mexico House · 2026 Regular Session

ACCESSIBILITY ACT

The Accessibility Act requires all New Mexico state agencies to make their websites, mobile applications, and physical facilities compliant with accessibility standards by April 1, 2027. It mandates adherence to digital standards (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA) and physical standards (based on the federal Americans with Disabilities Act) to ensure services are accessible to people with disabilities. The bill creates an Office of Accessibility within the governor’s commission on disability to oversee compliance, provide technical assistance, and develop reporting mechanisms. State agencies must post accessibility statements on their websites and submit biennial reports detailing progress, barriers, and corrective actions to the governor and legislative committees.

Issues: ✓ Technology

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

House Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 3, 2026 Last action Mar 24, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

introduced version → HC substitute · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to shift responsibility from the governor's commission on disability to the Department of Health, which now houses the new Office of Accessibility. The changes include updated definitions, expanded reporting requirements, and a new appropriation to fund implementation. These modifications centralize oversight under the Department of Health and strengthen accountability through detailed public reporting.

Scope change

The bill's scope was modified to apply the Office of Accessibility within the Department of Health rather than the governor's commission on disability. The definition of 'department' was specifically changed to mean the Department of Health, and the Office of Accessibility is now created within that department.

SCOPE

The Office of Accessibility was moved from the governor's commission on disability to the Department of Health, changing which agency oversees implementation of the Accessibility Act.

REQUIREMENT

New reporting requirements were added, requiring the Office of Accessibility to submit detailed written reports to the governor and legislature every May, including assessments, evaluations, and progress updates on accessibility barriers.

State agencies are now required to submit accessibility analyses to the Office of Accessibility 120 days before the annual report is due, providing more detailed data on barriers and planned initiatives.

The requirements for website accessibility statements were expanded to include specific elements such as acknowledgment of commitment, contact information for reporting issues, known limitations, and supported browsers.

FISCAL

A new appropriation of $350,000 was added from the general fund to the Department of Health for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to implement and administer the Accessibility Act.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'department' was changed to specifically mean the Department of Health, and 'accessible' was added as a new definition emphasizing removal of physical, sensory, and cognitive barriers.

Floor votes · House Feb 13, 2026

How they voted

53–6

Passed · 7 other

Total votes 66

Feb 13, 2026

D Democratic40

38 Yea 2

95% Yea

R Republican26

15 Yea 6 Nay 5

57% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 17, 2026

Upper · Passed

DO PASS, as amended, committee report adopted

upper

Feb 14, 2026

Introduced

Sent to Senate Finance Committee

upper

Feb 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

passed House

lower

Feb 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

DO PASS committee report adopted

lower

Feb 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

DO NOT PASS, replaced with committee substitute

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Introduced

Sent to House Health & Human Services Committee & House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee

lower

4 primary · 0 co-sponsors