New laws in 2025: From gun reforms to cage-free eggs
From gun reform to agriculture, hundreds of laws and amendments will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. Here are a few to know.
What is the legislative session?
New Mexico lawmakers will address various issues important to New Mexicans, including budgets, education reforms, healthcare policies and infrastructure developments during the 2025 legislative session in Santa Fe.
The session will be historic; women will hold the majority of seats in the New Mexico Legislature, making it the largest female legislative majority in U.S. history.
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When is the New Mexico legislative session?
Jan. 2 – Jan. 17: Legislation may be prefiled
Jan. 21: Opening day (noon)
Feb. 20: Deadline for introduction
March 22: Session ends (noon)
April 11: Legislation not acted upon by governor is pocket vetoed
June 20: Effective date of legislation not a general appropriation bill or a bill carrying an emergency clause or other specified date
More: Las Cruces councilors approve legislative priorities ahead of 60-day session
How to connect with your legislators
New Mexicans are encouraged to engage with the legislative process by following bill progress, attending public hearings and communicating with their elected representatives to ensure their voices are heard in the state’s lawmaking process.
Phone calls: A direct way to voice your concerns.
Email: A good option for providing detailed information.
Letters: Can be impactful, especially when sent as part of a larger campaign.
In-person meetings: Best for building a personal connection.
Public testimony: Share your perspective at legislative hearings.
Use the New Mexico Legislature’s “Find My Legislator” tool online at https://www.nmlegis.gov/Members/Find_My_Legislator.
What are the Legislative priorities for the 2025 session in New Mexico?
Budget requests
Governor Lujan Grisham released the 2026 fiscal year budget recommendation of $10.9 billion in recurring spending — an increase of 5.3% over current year spending. The budget contains an additional $172 million for state employee pay raises, which includes additional compensation for New Mexico educators, according to the Office of the Governor.
“This fiscally sound budget proposal prioritizes early childhood education, clean energy, infrastructure, affordable housing and expanded healthcare access to build a stronger foundation for New Mexicans,” said Grisham. “My administration looks forward to discussing these proposals with state lawmakers and reaching consensus on the priorities that matter most to our state.”
Public safety
Improvement to public records requests: The New Mexico Counties (NMC) Board of Directors is seeking to amend the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA). This would bar certain requests made to “compromise and obstruct critical local government services,” according to NMC.
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Reckless driving: Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and Police Department Chief Harold Medina are pushing for increased penalties for reckless driving, aiming to make the consequences as severe as those for homicide. This includes penalties for street racing and driving that result in death or serious injury.
Felons with firearms: Keller and Medina are also advocating for stricter laws against felons caught with firearms, seeking harsher penalties to enhance public safety, alongside Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story.
“We cannot do this alone,” Keller said. “The challenges facing Albuquerque, New Mexico, are a combination of homegrown and national, and they’re big, and we will keep fighting in every single way, every single day to push back against crime, against housing challenges around homelessness.”
Corrections and detention
Detention workforce: Funding the Corrections Workforce Capacity Building Fund will address staffing shortages in county detention centers. Legislators are focusing on recruitment and retention of detention officers.
Detention Reimbursement Fund: Fully funding the County Detention Facility Reimbursment Act Fund would reimburse counties for the costs associated with housing state inmates. The current fund is $5 million and legislators are looking to increase it by $3.2 million.
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Healthcare and family support
Paid family and medical leave (PFML): AARP New Mexico is prioritizing legislation for paid family and medical leave, reflecting broader efforts to support families and workers across the state.
“We will be putting a lot of time and effort into getting PFML passed this time,” AARP New Mexico Associate State Director for Advocacy Othiamba Umi said.
Infrastructure and economic development
Courthouse funding: Investment in the construction and renovation of state district courthouses would ensure they meet modern standards of security and functionality, according to the NMC.
Municipal revenue sources: The New Mexico Municipal League will address the financial impacts of state policy changes on municipal revenues.
Community services and quality of life
Affordable housing: Priorities in Las Cruces include funding for affordable housing projects like Paseos Verdes and Amador Crossing, which aim to provide housing for veterans, low-income families and the elderly.
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Public transportation: Investment in infrastructure would support electric bus charging stations and enhancements to public transit facilities.
Firefighter and EMS recruitment
Funding for emergency services: Legislators are looking for continued funding for the operational costs of 700 MHz radios and recruitment funds to ensure adequate staffing and resources for firefighters and EMS personnel, according to NMC.
Border-Related Humanitarian and Crime Efforts
Funding for border security: Legislators are seeking $5 million to go to counties for state and federal resources to combat drug and human trafficking networks, according to a release from NMC.
U.S. Representatives Gabe Vasquez and Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico have comprehensive lists of priorities published on their sites that will be discussed during the 2025 Legislative Session.
NM FAST (New Mexico Federal and State Technology) is now accepting applications for a free space-sector accelerator cohort designed to help New Mexico-based technology companies compete for federal funding through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The cohort targets founders and researchers pursuing grants from NASA, Space Force and related federal agencies, with programming set to launch July 21.
The cohort will admit six to 10 New Mexico companies and run for 10 to 12 weeks, meeting in weekly sessions of approximately one and a half to two hours. Programming covers the full arc of federal commercialization strategy, including space-sector SBIR/STTR opportunities and federal funding pathways, proposal development for technical narratives and commercialization components, federal procurement positioning and agency discovery, capital strategy and follow-on funding options, and transition planning from Phase I to Phase II awards. Participants also receive targeted one-on-one advisory support throughout the program. The cohort is offered at no cost to accepted companies.
The program is open to companies at both the pre-award and early-award stages. The majority of cohort seats are designed for Phase 0 companies preparing to submit Phase I SBIR/STTR applications to NASA or Space Force. A limited number of seats are available for Phase I awardees working toward Phase II readiness and Phase III transition planning.
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“New Mexico has a deep base of research and a growing pipeline of founders ready to translate that work into companies that can compete for federal R&D dollars,” said Carlos Murguia, director of the Technology and Innovation Gateway at Arrowhead Center. “This cohort focuses specifically on the space sector, pairing New Mexico companies with Larta’s expertise in SBIR and STTR commercialization to give founders a clear, structured path from early-stage research to federal award.”
Larta Institute, NM FAST’s commercialization partner for this program, will lead the full design and delivery of the accelerator curriculum. Larta has supported startups that have collectively raised more than $23.7 billion since 1993 and brings that track record to founders working in New Mexico’s growing aerospace and space technology sector.
The cohort aligns with the aerospace priority sector named in the New Mexico Entrepreneurship Programmatic Support Grant and is relevant to companies working at the intersection of advanced computing, bioscience and advanced energy applications in space-related contexts.
NM FAST is administered by Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University and operates statewide, serving founders in Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Los Alamos and rural communities across New Mexico. Over more than a decade of programming, NM FAST has supported more than 470 New Mexico startups and helped companies secure nearly $28 million in federal SBIR awards. Targeted outreach is directed to rural, women, veteran and minority entrepreneurs.
The program is sponsored by the New Mexico Economic Development Department’s Technology and Innovation Office through the New Mexico Entrepreneurship Programmatic Support Grant, which supports continued statewide programming for SBIR/STTR-eligible companies in the four priority sectors.
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Applications are open now and will be accepted through July 14, 2026. Interested companies can apply at forms.gle/CqSwEL7LahqB5pGu9. Space is limited, and selected companies will be notified before the program launch.
SANTA FE, N.M. – Santa Fe County and Edgewood approved a new agreement and ordinance that secures ongoing fire and EMS services for Edgewood residents.
According to a joint announcement from the Town of Edgewood and Santa Fe County on June 19, the two governments negotiated and adopted a new Joint Powers Agreement and ordinance to keep the Santa Fe County Fire Department serving the town.
County and town representatives drafted the agreement together. The town adopted the ordinance unanimously at a special meeting on June 16, putting an end to weeks of uncertainty.
Santa Fe County District 3 Commissioner Camilla Bustamante said, “I believe we are all relieved to know that the people of Edgewood will continue to have the fire and EMS services necessary to protect their homes, their families, and their community. This community deserves nothing less.”
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The announcement said the ordinance takes effect five days after final publication. The statement also said no further action or approval is needed to guarantee continued fire suppression, fire prevention, and EMS services for Edgewood residents.
Both governments noted the agreement will continue indefinitely unless either side ends it with five years’ notice.
