Sen. Craig Brandt

Maddy summarySJR 2 proposes a constitutional amendment to New Mexico that would limit state legislators to a maximum of 12 years of total service in either the Senate or House of Representatives. It also creates an independent citizen commission (with nine members, no more than four from the same political party) to set and adjust legislative salaries every four years, starting with a report due by October 2029 for implementation in July 2030. The amendment requires voter approval at the next general election and would replace current per diem and mileage payments with a salary determined by the commission. This directly affects all current and future New Mexico legislators by changing term limits and compensation structures.

Maddy summarySB 63 creates a dedicated $2 million "County Dog and Cat Spay and Neuter Subaccount" within New Mexico's Animal Welfare Program Fund, specifically for counties to contract with licensed veterinarians. This subaccount funds spay and neuter services for individual pet owners, directly benefiting pet owners and counties managing these programs. The bill appropriates $2 million from the general fund for fiscal year 2027 and future years, with unspent balances not reverting to the general fund. It does not alter eligibility for other animal welfare grants but establishes a separate funding stream for this specific service.

Maddy summaryNew Mexico's SB 155 requires state agencies to use "Judea and Samaria," "Judea," or "Samaria" instead of "West Bank" when referring to land adjacent to Jordan that Israel regained after the 1967 Six-Day War. It applies to all official government communications like rules, press releases, or guidance documents prepared by state departments, boards, or commissions. The bill explicitly excludes teaching or research materials produced by state-employed college instructors from this requirement. This is a procedural change to standardize terminology in state government materials, not a policy affecting residents or land rights.

Maddy summarySB 102 defines "search-and-rescue dog" as a dog owned or employed by fire departments, law enforcement, corrections agencies, or the state fire marshal for locating people. The bill increases penalties for injuring or harassing such dogs: minor injury becomes a third-degree felony (up to 5 years), while serious injury or death becomes a second-degree felony (up to 15 years). It directly affects agencies using search-and-rescue dogs by extending the same legal protections and penalties previously applied to police dogs, fire dogs, and police horses. The bill amends New Mexico’s criminal code to explicitly include search-and-rescue dogs in these provisions.

Maddy summarySB 175 prohibits courts from awarding punitive damages in medical malpractice cases. The bill directly affects patients who might seek punitive damages and healthcare providers who would no longer face liability for such awards. It amends New Mexico's Medical Malpractice Act to explicitly state that "punitive damages or any other exemplary damages shall not be awarded in a malpractice claim," effective January 1, 2027. This changes the legal standard by removing the possibility of punitive damages in these cases, which were previously permitted under the existing law.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Mexico law to establish specific penalties for cockfighting, separate from existing dog fighting rules. It creates a tiered penalty system: a first conviction for cockfighting is a petty misdemeanor, a second conviction is a misdemeanor, and third or subsequent convictions are a fourth-degree felony. The law directly affects individuals who sponsor, arrange, or participate in cockfights for monetary gain or entertainment, including those present without attempting to stop the event. The bill does not change penalties for dog fighting, which remain as fourth-degree felonies under current law.

Maddy summarySB 44 appropriates $2 million from the state general fund to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NM Tech) for seismology equipment and expanding monitoring capabilities at its Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. The funding, to be used in fiscal year 2027, supports partnership with the Energy Department’s Oil Conservation Division to enhance seismic monitoring. Unspent funds at year-end would revert to the general fund. This bill directly affects NM Tech’s geology bureau and the state’s oil conservation operations through infrastructure upgrades.

Maddy summarySB 87 creates a 5-year "Opioid Addiction Prevention Pilot Project" in New Mexico focused on reducing unnecessary opioid prescriptions after surgery. The bill requires the Department of Health to contract with a qualified third party to implement nurse navigation services - clinically-led, personalized pain management coaching and education for surgical patients and providers - to improve pain control while lowering opioid use. It appropriates $9 million from the opioid crisis recovery fund (2026-2031) for this project, with annual reports to legislative committees tracking surgical cases covered and opioids avoided. The pilot directly affects surgical patients, hospitals, and healthcare providers by changing post-surgery pain management protocols.

Maddy summarySB 95 prohibits antisemitic discrimination across New Mexico by amending the Human Rights Act. It defines "antisemitic" as hatred toward Jewish people (including verbal or physical acts against them or those perceived as Jewish, their property, or Jewish community spaces) and explicitly includes this form of bias under existing anti-discrimination protections. The bill applies to all entities covered by the Human Rights Act, including employers, public accommodations, government bodies, and their employees or contractors. It ensures individuals harmed by antisemitic discrimination can file claims through the established Human Rights Act process, without creating new enforcement mechanisms.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SM 2) requests New Mexico's Health Care Authority to create a Medicaid benefit for pediatric palliative care, directly affecting children with serious, complex, or life-limiting illnesses and their families. It would allow these children to receive palliative care - managing pain, symptoms, and emotional support - while continuing curative treatments, unlike current hospice rules that require a terminal prognosis. The request includes specific provisions for coordinated care, 24/7 nurse access, and quality standards based on a UNM-developed model. Studies cited show similar programs improve quality of life, reduce hospital visits, and can save Medicaid costs.