Sen. Moe Maestas

Maddy summarySB 250 requires individuals convicted of driving with a revoked license in New Mexico to install an ignition interlock device (IID) in their vehicle and obtain an ignition interlock license within 10 days of conviction. The license is valid for either four or eight years, depending on the offense, and allows the person to drive only with the IID installed. The bill also specifies that the IID can be removed without a court order and amends penalties to require this device as a mandatory condition for offenders convicted under this section. This directly affects drivers who operate vehicles while their licenses are revoked, adding a specific safety measure to their sentence.

Maddy summarySB 221 creates a new criminal offense in New Mexico for misappropriating petroleum products or oil and gas equipment, directly affecting individuals who take or misuse such assets without authorization. The bill defines this crime as actions like taking equipment without consent (e.g., drilling into pipelines, selling unlicensed petroleum products), with penalties ranging from a fourth-degree felony ($500 or less value) to a second-degree felony (over $2,500 value). It also adds this offense to the state’s Racketeering Act, allowing repeated violations within six months to be prosecuted as a single aggregated offense. The law targets theft or unauthorized use of equipment and products central to New Mexico’s oil and gas industry.

Maddy summarySB 244 allocates $5 million from the state general fund to the University of New Mexico's Board of Regents for fiscal year 2027 to directly support UNM student athletes. The funding covers specific needs like travel, nutrition, and other athlete-related expenses during their participation in intercollegiate sports. Any unspent portion of the appropriation must be returned to the general fund by the end of fiscal year 2027. This bill creates a one-time state funding mechanism for UNM athletic programs, with no ongoing financial commitment beyond the specified fiscal year.

Maddy summarySB 243 allocates $5 million from the state general fund to New Mexico State University's Board of Regents for fiscal year 2027 to support student athletes. The funds cover direct needs like travel, nutrition, and other athlete-related expenses. Any unspent money at year-end must return to the general fund. This bill directly affects NMSU student athletes and the university's athletic program funding. It is a straightforward funding appropriation with no policy changes beyond the specified budget allocation.

Maddy summarySB 251 prohibits the practice of "program ownership" and "program training" in New Mexico horse racing, where individuals falsely list themselves as owners or trainers in official race programs while the actual owner or trainer remains undisclosed. It directly affects horse owners, trainers, and racetracks that use such deceptive practices to circumvent licensing requirements. The bill amends licensing rules to grant the State Racing Commission authority to deny, suspend, or revoke licenses for anyone engaging in these prohibited activities. This creates a concrete policy change by requiring transparency in official race documentation and enforcing accountability through licensing consequences.

Maddy summarySB 23 requires all New Mexico public school districts and charter schools to adopt a policy prohibiting student use of phones, tablets, and other wireless devices during the school day, with specific exceptions. These exceptions include using devices for educational purposes with teacher permission, managing health emergencies, or for accessibility tools like text-to-speech software required by a student’s individualized education plan. The bill also creates a $1 million annual grant program through the Education Technology Infrastructure Fund to support schools implementing this policy, allowing them to apply for funding to upgrade technology infrastructure. The policy must be published online by each school district and includes procedures for handling device confiscation during violations. This directly affects all public school students and staff in New Mexico’s 33 school districts.

Maddy summarySB 98 amends New Mexico's Cultural Properties Act and Cultural Properties Protection Act to explicitly exclude "jetty jacks" from the definition of "cultural property." Jetty jacks are steel and wire river bank maintenance structures installed by federal agencies (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Army Corps of Engineers). The bill changes statutory definitions so these specific structures are no longer subject to cultural property protections or review processes. This directly affects federal river maintenance infrastructure, removing it from state cultural preservation regulations.

Maddy summarySB 128, the Public Land Disclosure and Accountability Act, requires public agencies (such as school districts and state universities) to report every two years on vacant or underutilized land they own in metropolitan areas that has been unused for five years or more. Agencies must disclose if they have no plan to use such land, and non-county/municipality agencies must sell it under this requirement. Buyers of these properties must begin development within 12 months or risk losing the land with a full refund. The state will maintain a public database of all reports to increase transparency about public land use.

Maddy summarySB 126, titled "GUARDIAN AD LITEM CAPACITY," amends New Mexico's Children's Code to limit each guardian ad litem (GAL) to representing no more than twenty children simultaneously. This directly affects GALs appointed in child welfare, custody, or abuse cases by setting a strict numerical cap on their caseloads. The key provision explicitly states that no GAL may serve more than twenty children at the same time, replacing the previous lack of a specific limit in the law. This change aims to ensure adequate attention for each child through defined capacity rules.

Maddy summarySB 119 creates a $5 million state fund to help demolish deteriorated or condemned residential properties in New Mexico. It provides grants to counties and municipalities for demolishing such properties and allows property owners to apply for reimbursement if their home is in a blighted area under redevelopment or if repair costs significantly exceed demolition costs. The fund, administered by the state Department of Finance and Administration, will operate through rules to be finalized by December 2026. Unspent funds will carry forward annually, with the first $5 million appropriated for fiscal year 2027.