Budget & Taxes

in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 338: HEALTH PRACTITIONER GRT DEDUCTION SUNSET

HB 338 extends the expiration date for a tax deduction that health care practitioners can use to reduce their taxable gross receipts by certain patient payments, changing the deadline from 2028 to 2031. It expands the deduction to include coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles paid by patients for commercial health insurance plans (excluding Medicare and Medicaid services). This affects licensed health care professionals like doctors, dentists, nurses, and therapists who provide services under commercial contracts with insurers. The deduction must be reported separately and is only applied after other allowable tax deductions are taken.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExtends tax deduction for health care professionals, reducing taxable income and providing tax relief - directly advances tax policy within Budget & Taxes topic.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes

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in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 297: UNM PROJECT ECHO

HB 297 allocates $2.4 million from the state general fund to the University of New Mexico's Board of Regents for Project ECHO's literacy support programs. The funding will directly support educators in New Mexico schools by providing training and resources to improve literacy instruction methods. It covers fiscal years 2027 through 2029, with any unspent funds returning to the state treasury by 2029. This is a funding bill focused on enhancing educator capacity, not a policy change affecting broader public law.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $2.4M state funds to UNM education literacy programs, increasing public service funding per budget & taxes indicators.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $2.4M for UNM Project ECHO literacy training, directly funding educator capacity to improve school literacy instruction per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Higher Education Teachers

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in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 310: STUDY LOWRIDER MUSEUM

HB 310 appropriates $1,000,000 from the general fund to New Mexico's Cultural Affairs Department for a fiscal year 2027 feasibility study, planning, and implementation of a lowrider museum in Espanola. The bill directly affects the Cultural Affairs Department, which will use the funds to assess the museum's viability and develop plans. It does not create new laws or alter existing policies but allocates specific funding for preliminary research. Any unspent funds at the end of fiscal year 2027 would revert to the general fund. This is a procedural bill focused solely on funding a study, not on museum operations or policy changes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $1M from general fund for cultural museum feasibility study, directly increasing state spending on arts infrastructure within budget allocation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

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in committee · New Mexico · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 242: INDIAN FAMILY PROTECTION ACT COMPLIANCE

SB 242 appropriates $3 million from the general fund to the Children, Youth and Families Department for a field liaison position within the Office of Tribal Affairs. This liaison will ensure New Mexico's compliance with the state's Indian Family Protection Act and the federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. The bill directly affects Native American families and tribal communities by adding dedicated staff to monitor child welfare cases involving tribal children. It does not change existing laws but provides funding to strengthen oversight of current compliance requirements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $3M from general fund to fund tribal compliance liaison position, directly increasing state agency budget allocation for essential services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Tags Tribal Nations

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in committee · New Mexico · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 298: RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE TAX CREDIT

HB 298 creates a 50% tax credit for New Mexico railroads that spend on qualifying infrastructure projects, such as track repairs, new rail lines, or facilities serving new customers. The credit directly affects railroads classified as Class 2 or 3 by the federal government or owners/lessees of rail spurs in New Mexico, with limits of $5,000 per mile of track owned/leased and $1 million per new customer project. To claim the credit, railroads must first get DOT certification, and the total annual credits issued cannot exceed $6 million. The bill allows credits to be transferred between taxpayers but does not refund excess credit amounts beyond a taxpayer’s liability in a given year.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates 50% tax credit for railroads on infrastructure spending, directly reducing tax liability for qualifying entities per TAXATION subject.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationProvides 50% tax credit for rail infrastructure projects (track repairs, new lines), directly funding rail transportation improvements per bill's funding mechanism.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Tax Credits Tax Incentives Rail

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in committee · New Mexico · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 258: FISCAL IMPACT REPORTS FOR RULES

SB 258 requires New Mexico's Legislative Finance Committee staff to prepare fiscal impact reports for proposed state agency rules expected to cost $10 million or more annually. It directly affects state agencies proposing such rules (which must provide cost data) and legislative leaders (who can request the reports). The bill mandates that reports include the agency's cost estimates, the rule's legal basis, projected impacts on state budgets and private businesses, and analysis sources. This change aims to provide lawmakers with standardized financial data before approving major regulatory changes. The bill applies only to rules with significant fiscal effects, not routine regulations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates fiscal impact reports for high-cost rules, promoting budget transparency and accountability per fiscal responsibility indicators.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Audits & Accountability

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in committee · New Mexico · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 231: STUDY COMMUNITY-BASED FOSTER CARE

SB 231 requires the Office of Child Advocate to conduct two periodic studies: one every five years on costs and reimbursement rates for community-based foster care placements (including payments for food, shelter, and supervision of children) and another every six years on costs and reimbursement rates for legal representation for children in foster care due to abuse or neglect allegations (covering attorney fees, evaluations, and court costs). The bill appropriates $200,000 for these initial studies in fiscal year 2027, with reports due to the Legislative Finance Committee by December 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. These studies will examine specific expenses like resource family payments and legal service costs to inform future funding decisions. The legislation does not change current foster care or legal services but mandates reviews to assess financial needs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $200,000 for studies on foster care costs/reimbursement, directly funding state budget allocation for child welfare research.90% confidence

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in committee · New Mexico · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 309: LOTTERY DEPOSITS INTO TUITION FUND

SB 309 requires the New Mexico Lottery Authority to deposit monthly net lottery revenue into the Lottery Tuition Fund, directly affecting the state's lottery operations and education funding. It sets minimum annual deposit targets ($43 million for 2027-2029, $45 million for 2030+), triggering a requirement to deposit 30% of monthly gross lottery revenue if these targets aren't met for two consecutive years. The bill clarifies that operating costs (like prizes, administration, and retailer commissions) are excluded when calculating deposits. This change ensures consistent funding for education by mandating specific revenue transfers from lottery sales.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates lottery revenue deposits into tuition fund, increasing state funding for education via fiscal management.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates lottery revenue deposits into tuition fund with $43M+ annual minimums, directly increasing education funding per bill summary and subjects.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · New Mexico · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 300: CYFD COMPUTER HARDWARE & SOFTWARE

SB 300 appropriates $5 million from the general fund to New Mexico's Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) for fiscal year 2027 to upgrade computer hardware and software used in child welfare cases. The funds must be used for systems compatible with the national child welfare data management system operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Unspent funds at year-end would revert to the general fund. This bill directly affects CYFD's technology infrastructure for managing child welfare cases, with no new policy requirements beyond the funding allocation.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $5M from general fund to fund CYFD's technology upgrade for child welfare services, directly increasing budget allocation for public service.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget

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in committee · New Mexico · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SJM 4: ADVANCE ELECTION FOR FEDERAL TAX PROGRAM

SJM 4 is a non-binding request urging New Mexico's governor to opt the state into a federal tax credit program that allows donors to claim dollar-for-dollar tax credits for contributions to scholarship organizations. This program would enable low-income families and students with special needs to access private scholarships covering K-12 education costs - including tuition, books, and special needs services - at public, private, or religious schools, without state funding. The request emphasizes that opting in requires only the governor's decision (no legislative action) and risks losing charitable donations to states like Texas and Colorado that have already joined the program. New Mexico would gain immediate access to this federal opportunity to expand educational choices for underserved students, aligning with bipartisan voter support for the initiative.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill advocates for state participation in federal tax credit program, providing tax relief to donors who fund scholarships, directly supporting a tax break policy.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnables private K-12 scholarships via tax credits for low-income families and students with special needs, expanding educational access options beyond public schools.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Tax Incentives Higher Education K-12 Education School Choice

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