Rep. Rod Montoya

Maddy summaryHB 273, the Women's Safety & Protection Act, requires domestic violence shelters, public schools, and juvenile detention facilities in New Mexico to designate separate sleeping quarters and restrooms for males and females. It mandates that these facilities provide reasonable accommodations (like single-occupancy spaces) for individuals who cannot use facilities matching their sex, but prohibits access to opposite-sex areas when others of that sex are present. The bill explicitly allows exceptions for emergencies, medical needs, maintenance, and ADA accommodations, while ensuring facilities remain compliant with federal disability law. It directly affects residents of these facilities, staff, and students in New Mexico's public schools and shelter systems.

Maddy summaryHB 324 requires all New Mexico public school districts and charter schools to provide annual firearm safety training to students in grades 6-12 starting in the 2027-2028 school year, with optional inclusion of grades K-5. The training must cover safe firearm storage, school safety protocols related to firearms, and specific steps for students who find a firearm (like not touching it and telling an adult), all developed by the Public Education Department and Public Safety Department. It mandates the training be age-appropriate, non-shooting (no live ammunition or firearms), viewpoint-neutral on gun rights, and prohibits branded commercial content. Schools must incorporate the approved training into their curriculum without requiring live firearm demonstrations.

Maddy summaryHB 144 creates the crime of "unlawful squatting" in New Mexico, defined as entering and residing on someone else's property without permission for any period. It classifies this as a fourth-degree felony and requires property owners to prove unauthorized occupancy through a legal process involving affidavits and court hearings, rather than immediate removal. The bill also allows property owners to seek double the appraised value of damages caused by the squatter and gives alleged squatters three business days to contest a citation with proof like a lease or deed. This directly affects property owners facing unauthorized occupants and individuals accused of squatting, establishing a court-based system to resolve disputes over property rights.

Maddy summaryHB 71 allows residents, businesses, or the attorney general to compel a New Mexico county or municipality to enforce its own ordinances. It requires written notice to the local government, giving it 14 days to either enforce the ordinance or explain why it wasn’t enforced. If unresolved, the affected party can file a lawsuit seeking a court order to enforce or repeal the ordinance, with possible recovery of attorney fees if they win. The bill directly affects local governments’ enforcement practices and provides a legal remedy for those impacted by unenforced local rules, effective July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis constitutional amendment (HJR 8) would require New Mexico municipalities or counties to refund property taxes paid by owners when local governments fail to enforce public nuisance laws (e.g., unaddressed blight or safety hazards) on the owner's property. If a property owner incurs costs to mitigate such issues due to the government's inaction, the municipality or county must refund up to the prior year's property tax amount for that property. The property owner must prove ownership and the actual costs incurred to qualify for the refund. As a constitutional amendment, it requires voter approval at the next general election and is currently pending committee review.

Maddy summaryHB 193 creates a scholarship program allowing school tuition organizations to award financial aid to low-income students attending private schools in New Mexico, while establishing tax credits for donors. It directly affects low-income families (defined by federal lunch program income standards) who choose private schools, provided students previously attended a public or home school in New Mexico. Key mechanisms include requiring organizations to allocate 90% of funds to scholarships, prohibiting single-school restrictions, mandating annual financial reports, and requiring audits for organizations receiving $500,000+ in donations. The bill also creates individual and corporate income tax credits for contributions to these scholarship organizations, with strict transparency rules for public reporting.

Maddy summaryHB 192 prohibits foreign corporations (including in-state subsidiaries) from purchasing single-family homes in New Mexico as investment rental properties before July 1, 2036. The bill directly affects foreign-owned real estate investment entities seeking to buy homes for rental purposes within the state. Key provisions ban these transactions for single-family residential properties, defining "foreign corporation" as one organized under the laws of another state or country. The law aims to limit foreign corporate ownership of residential rental housing, effective July 1, 2036.

Maddy summaryThis constitutional amendment (HJR 7) proposes changing New Mexico's legislative session rules. It would limit regular sessions in even-numbered years to 30 days and restrict those sessions to only consider budgets, appropriations, revenue bills, and bills from the governor's special messages - plus veto overrides from prior sessions within the same two-year period. The amendment requires voter approval at the next general election and would not affect how odd-year sessions operate (which may last 60 days). As a procedural change to the state constitution, it directly impacts legislative process, not specific policies or affected groups.

Maddy summaryThis constitutional amendment (HJR 6) proposes changing New Mexico's legislative session structure. It would divide each biennium into two regular sessions (max 45 days each), starting the first session on the second Tuesday of January. The bill specifies that odd-numbered years would handle all bills, while even-numbered years would focus only on budgets/appropriations and bills from gubernatorial special messages. It also allows veto overrides for bills from any session within the same biennium. As a procedural change, it requires voter approval at the next general election.

Maddy summaryHB 240 creates the Education Opportunity Account Act, allowing eligible New Mexico students (residents without a high school diploma or equivalent) to access state-funded accounts for education expenses. The program deposits state funds - calculated based on average public school spending per grade, adjusted for special needs - into accounts managed by the state education department. Parents can use these funds for approved costs at qualifying private schools (not online schools), tutoring, textbooks, assessments, and transportation, but funds cannot be refunded to families and unspent balances revert to the state treasury after two years or upon graduation. The bill specifies strict usage rules, prohibits personal deposits into accounts, and requires annual contracts detailing approved expenses.