Sen. David Gallegos

Maddy summarySJM 2 is a New Mexico Senate Joint Memorial requesting the Public Education Commission to create a comprehensive plan for the state to take over education programs currently managed by the U.S. Department of Education. The plan must include recommendations for state and federal legal changes, strategies for managing education funding (including potential federal waivers or grants), and identification of unnecessary federal education mandates. The Commission must gather input from local communities, teachers, and families, and submit the final plan to state leaders by December 31, 2026. This is a procedural request, not a law changing current responsibilities.

Maddy summarySB 71 amends New Mexico's Public Employees Retirement Act (PERA) to include public safety telecommunicators (emergency call center staff) as eligible for "police member" coverage under PERA. This change directly affects current public safety telecommunicators employed by local governments, allowing them to elect to join the police member retirement plan instead of their current plan. The bill establishes an election process for these employees to choose whether to adopt the police member coverage plan, which typically offers different retirement benefit structures. The amendment modifies PERA definitions to explicitly cover telecommunicators under the "municipal police member" category (as defined in Section 10-11-2). The bill is currently pending referral to Senate committees.

Maddy summarySB 206 allows parents to anonymously relinquish infants under 90 days old at designated safe haven sites (like hospitals, fire stations, or police stations) without facing criminal charges for abandonment. Parents have 90 days to contact the Children, Youth and Families Department to seek reunification; if they do not, the department must file to terminate parental rights automatically. Safe haven sites must provide parents with information about adoption services and reunification options, and the bill grants legal immunity to sites that install safe haven baby boxes. The law directly affects parents seeking anonymous relinquishment, infants under 90 days old, and state child welfare agencies managing the process.

Maddy summarySB 4 establishes a mandatory "best interests of the child" standard for New Mexico courts handling abuse and neglect cases. The bill requires judges to consider 14 specific factors, including the child's safety, family history of harm or substance abuse, the family's willingness to participate in services, and the child's own fears about returning home. This standard directly affects judges, child welfare agencies, and families involved in these legal proceedings. The key mechanism is a formalized checklist ensuring courts systematically evaluate child safety, family circumstances, and service compliance rather than relying on subjective judgment alone. The policy change aims to create more consistent, child-centered outcomes in these sensitive cases.

Maddy summarySB 8 changes venue rules for medical malpractice lawsuits, requiring them to be filed only in the county where the patient received the treatment at issue. It limits recovery from New Mexico's Patient's Compensation Fund, requires fund payments to be made as expenses occur (not all at once), and caps attorney fees in malpractice claims. The bill also creates a new Patient Safety Improvement Fund and removes a requirement for surcharges intended to fund the compensation fund's solvency. These changes directly affect patients filing medical malpractice claims, healthcare providers, and the administration of the Patient's Compensation Fund.

Maddy summarySB 7 amends New Mexico's Delinquency Act to change how youth aged 14 and older are handled in the juvenile justice system. It expands definitions of "serious youthful offender" and "youthful offender," removes the requirement for a detention risk assessment before placing a child in detention, and allows 14+ year olds to waive their right to an amenability hearing. The bill also changes court procedures by eliminating restrictions on sentencing options, requiring courts to weigh all amenability factors equally, and permitting the use of sealed juvenile records in pretrial detention or sentencing hearings. These changes directly affect youth facing delinquency charges and alter how courts process cases and manage juvenile confinement.

Maddy summarySB 347, the "Health Care Workers Conscience Protection Act," protects healthcare workers who refuse to participate in abortion or abortion-related services based on ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. It directly affects doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical students, and other staff at healthcare institutions (like hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies) by prohibiting penalties - including license loss, job discipline, or adverse employment actions - for such refusals. Key provisions require institutions to provide written notice of the law to all staff within 30 days of enactment and post summaries prominently, while mandating that workers who object transfer patient records to new providers upon request. The bill does not alter patient access to abortion services but focuses on safeguarding workers' conscience-based choices. (Note: The bill was postponed indefinitely in June 2025 and has not been enacted.)

Maddy summarySB 298 exempts specific licensed health care practitioners in New Mexico from state income tax on income earned from providing health care services within the state. The bill applies to 9 professions, including chiropractors, dentists, optometrists, physicians, and physical therapists, who must practice full-time in New Mexico. The exemption covers taxable years ending before January 1, 2035 (effectively 2025-2034). It does not create new taxes but removes an existing tax liability for qualifying professionals.

Maddy summarySB 184 would remove income limits that currently restrict which New Mexico residents can exclude Social Security income from state income tax. The bill amends Section 7-2-5.14 of New Mexico's tax code to eliminate the $75,000 (single filers), $100,000 (single), and $150,000 (joint filers) income caps, allowing all Social Security recipients to fully exclude their benefits from state taxation. This change directly affects New Mexico residents receiving Social Security benefits, regardless of their total income level. The policy would take effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2025, if enacted.

Maddy summarySB 453 prohibits New Mexico's Secretary of State and county clerks from sending voter registration eligibility notices to non-U.S. citizens. The bill would have amended the Election Code to block such notifications to individuals who are not U.S. citizens or to groups containing non-citizens. It specifically targets the mailing of materials that might suggest non-citizens could register to vote, though it does not affect actual voter registration eligibility. The bill was introduced in 2025 but was postponed indefinitely by the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 3, 2025, and did not advance.