Rep. Micaela Cadena

Maddy summaryHB 59, the Earned Wage Access Services Act, creates a licensing system for companies that offer workers early access to earned but unpaid wages (like salary or hourly pay not yet paid by an employer). It requires these providers to obtain a license from New Mexico's Financial Institutions Division, with exemptions for banks, credit unions, and employers offering direct advances. The law defines key terms like "earned but unpaid income" and clarifies that these services are not loans or money transmission. This directly affects workers using such services and the businesses providing them, establishing rules for licensing, fees, and provider conduct.

Maddy summaryHB 429 requires New Mexico state agencies and institutions to publicly post the names and resumes of at least three finalists for non-elected executive leadership roles (such as agency directors) at least ten days before a final hiring decision. It mandates that agencies collect voluntary, anonymous demographic data (including race, ethnicity, gender identity, and languages spoken) from applicants, then share aggregated, non-identifiable statistics when finalists are announced. The bill exempts non-finalist applicant records from public disclosure under the state's open records law while protecting finalists' reference letters and medical data from public access. This applies to non-elected chief executives of state agencies but excludes political appointments like cabinet secretaries, and takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 427 amends New Mexico's Water Project Finance Act to prioritize real-time water quality monitoring as a qualifying project for state funding. It authorizes grants (up to $500,000 per application) and loans for water systems or local governments to implement real-time monitoring technology, track drinking water quality data, and report results to the Department of Environment. The bill establishes a total funding cap of $31.5 million for these projects, with the authority required to review the cap by June 2027. It directly affects municipal water providers and public utilities seeking to upgrade monitoring systems under the state's water project fund.

Maddy summaryHB 417 redirects liquor excise tax revenue to address alcohol-related harms. It replaces the previous "DWI grant" program with a "local alcohol harms alleviation fund," distributing 94% of liquor excise tax revenue to this fund for community services. A new "tribal alcohol harms alleviation fund" receives all revenue from a proposed liquor excise surtax on retailers, specifically targeting tribal communities. The bill also excludes liquor taxes from "gross receipts" definitions in other tax laws and requires periodic legislative reviews of tax rates and distributions. These changes aim to reallocate existing tax revenue toward prevention and treatment programs rather than previous uses like drug courts or municipal grants.

Maddy summaryHouse Memorial 51 requests the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group (CREG) to study how static scoring (which assumes no economic changes from tax policies) and dynamic scoring (which accounts for economic shifts like job growth) affect New Mexico's budget decisions. The study, due by September 1, 2025, will include specific examples like the revenue impacts of personal income tax cuts paired with adjusted state spending and infrastructure projects. This memorial does not change policy but aims to inform future fiscal analysis by comparing these two evaluation methods.

Maddy summaryHB 504 amends New Mexico tax law to exclude gross receipts from prime contractors operating specific facilities from certain manufacturing-related tax deductions. It directly affects national laboratories designated by Congress and state-owned research facilities in New Mexico, preventing them from claiming deductions normally available to manufacturers. The bill adds a new exception to existing tax deduction rules (Sections 7-9-46 and 7-9-46.1), specifying that receipts from these facilities cannot be deducted as they would be for other manufacturers. This change aims to align tax treatment for federal and state research entities with standard manufacturing deduction rules. The bill was referred to committees but was postponed indefinitely in June 2025.

Maddy summarySB 431 changes how New Mexico distributes liquor tax revenue. It allocates 94% of liquor excise tax revenue to a new Local Alcohol Harms Alleviation Fund (replacing the previous DWI fund) and 6% to the Drug Court Fund, while creating a separate Tribal Alcohol Harms Alleviation Fund funded by a new surtax on liquor retailers. The bill also excludes liquor excise taxes from the definition of "gross receipts" in another tax law and requires legislative committees to review liquor tax rates and distributions. These changes directly affect local governments receiving funds for alcohol treatment programs, tribal communities accessing the new tribal fund, and liquor retailers paying the surtax.

Maddy summaryHB 428 amends New Mexico's legal definitions to clarify that certain correctional management rules (like inmate confinement or discipline) are excluded from standard rulemaking requirements. However, it requires the Corrections Department to provide public notice and allow comment for rules specifically affecting inmate release, probation, or parole. The bill mandates publishing these notices in designated news outlets to ensure transparency. This directly affects the Corrections Department's rulemaking process and indirectly impacts inmates, probationers, and parolees. The changes aim to streamline internal corrections management while adding transparency for rules with direct public impact.