Legislature round-up of final days in Santa Fe

Feb. 18--The 54th session of the New Mexico Legislature ends Feb. 20.

There were 323 Senate bills and 404 House bills of legislation that were introduced since the beginning of the session.

These are some of the bills that will be considered for passage by the House and Senate in the next few weeks.

House Bill 10 No Reduced School Meal Co-payments

Sponsors: Rep. Willie Madrid (D-53) and Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-28)

The bill covers a gap in the costs of reduced-fee lunches for New Mexico students, in which they are required to cover a portion of the costs. This adjustment removes co-payments for eligible students.

"House Bill 10 helps address systemic childhood hunger in New Mexico by expanding school lunch programs across the state," Stansbury said.

HB 10 passed the House and will head to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 83 Early Childhood Education and Care Fund

Sponsors: House Majority Whip and Rep. Doreen Gallegos (D-52)

The Early Childhood Education and Care Fund would begin with a $320 million appropriation from the General Fund and would be sustained by a yearly portion of surplus revenue from the Oil and Gas Emergency School tax and the Federal Mineral Leasing revenues.

"This is a historic moment in New Mexico, the moment when we signal to the world that our children matter and we are committed to building a foundation for their lifelong successes," Gallegos said.

HB 83 passed the Senate by a vote of 37-1 and moves to the governor's desk.

House Bill 148 Increase Working Families Tax Credit

Sponsor: Rep. Javier Martínez (D-11)

HB 148 raises the current Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) from 17 to 20 percent of the federal Earned Income tax credit. The legislation will expand the credit to include a new group: low-income working adults between 18 and 24 years of age without children.

"It is my priority to improve the lives of our state's families through common-sense investments in their future like the Working Families Tax Credit and is intended for the average, hard-working New Mexican family and I am proud to be a part of supporting their success," Martínez said.

HB 148 passed the House and now heads to the Senate.

House Bill 228 Rural Health Care Tax Credit

Sponsors: Rep. Rudy Martinez (D-39), Rep. Liz Thomson (D-24) and Rep. Patricia Roybal-Caballero (D-13)

HB 228 gives occupational and physical therapists eligibility for $5,000 tax credit when they work in rural communities.

"Whether it's finding someone who will treat opioid addiction, scheduling a primary care visit, making a specialized appointment, or in this case, needing a physical therapist, this bill will help level the playing field for rural New Mexicans seeking health care," Martinez said.

HB 228 passed the House and will advance to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 278 Health Insurance Acts and New Fund

Sponsors: Rep. Deborah Armstrong (D-17), Rep. Javier Martinez (D-11) and Rep. Liz Thomson (D-24)

HB 278 creates the Health Care Affordability Fund which would generate about $70 million annually by continuing a fee corporate insurance companies currently pay to the federal government for expanding the Affordable Care Act and which phases out in 2020.

"This bill is one of the most direct actions we can take to lower healthcare costs for New Mexican families," Armstrong said. "A maternity check-up or emergency room trip with a sick toddler should not throw families into debt."

HB 278 passed the House and will advance to the Senate.

House Bill 237 Human Trafficking and Sex Offender Changes

Sponsors: Rep. Georgene Louis (D-26), Rep. Liz Thomson (D-24), Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-50) and Rep. Joseph Sanchez (D-40)

The bill would provide protection for victims of human trafficking and children who were sexual exploited. This bill would increase the three year penalty to nine years for trafficking of adults and 18 years for trafficking of anyone under 18.

The bill also requires anyone convicted of human trafficking to register as a sex offender.

"Sexual exploitation and human trafficking are social evils that greatly impact communities throughout New Mexico. I am committed to protecting all New Mexicans, especially children," Louis said.

The bill passed the House unanimously and will advance to the Senate.

House Bill 302 Child Sexual Abuse Statute of limitations

Sponsors: Rep. Marian Matthews (D-27) and Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-15)

HB 302 removes the statute of limitations in cases of systemic child abuse.

"House Bill 302 protects each victim's right to seek justice for the trauma they have suffered from sexual abuse. We recognize that victims of childhood sexual abuse often take many years to understand and process their experiences and our statute of limitations must recognize there may be a delay in these children understanding the harm they've suffered," Matthews said.

HB 302 passed the House and will be heard in the Senate.

House Bill 263 Probation and Parole Clarification

Sponsors: Rep. Moe Maestas (D-16) and Rep. Gail Chasey (D-18)

HB 263 identifies those who violate probation based on technical errors and those who don't. It also improves the process for identifying inmates who do not pose a threat to society and who are eligible for medical or geriatric parole, and releases them.

"In New Mexico, 64 percent of individuals under parole had technical violations, that resulted in incarceration, hindering their ability to hold down a job, take care of family. "We must lower recidivism in our state," Maestas said.

HB 263 passed the House in a 47-17 vote and advances to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 269 Domestic Terrorism Changes

Sponsors: Rep. Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D-15), Rep. Natalie Figueroa (D-30), Majority Whip Doreen Gallegos (D-52) and Rep. Bill Rehm (R-31)

House Bill 269 defines the crimes of terrorism as the possession of a terroristic weapon, making a terroristic threat, and cyber-terrorism.

"House Bill 269 makes meaningful updates to New Mexico's criminal code so our law enforcement and communities can address modern-day threats from extremist groups and mass shooters," Hochman-Vigil said.

HB 269 passed the House and will head to the Senate for consideration.

Pamela L. Bonner can be reached at 575-202-5555, 575-257-4102, Pbonner@Ruidosonews.com, @PamelaLBonner1 on Twitter and @Pam Bonner on Facebook.

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