House Bill 1

HOUSE BILL 1

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2025

INTRODUCED BY

Reena Szczepanski

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE EXPENSE OF THE FIFTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, FIRST SESSION, 2025, AND FOR OTHER LEGISLATIVE EXPENSES, INCLUDING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SERVICE, THE LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE, THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE, THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE, THE HOUSE CHIEF CLERK'S OFFICE, THE SENATE CHIEF CLERK'S OFFICE AND OTHER EXPENSES OF THE LEGISLATURE; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. SESSION EXPENSES.--

          A. There is appropriated from the general fund for the expense of the legislative department of the state of New Mexico for the first session of the fifty-seventh legislature for per diem and mileage of its members, for salaries of employees and for other expenses of the legislature, eleven million four hundred forty-seven thousand eight hundred dollars ($11,447,800) or so much thereof as may be necessary for such purposes.

          B. The expenditures referred to in Subsection A of this section are as follows:

                (1) per diem for senators. . . . . . $550,700;

(2) per diem for members of the house of

representatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$917,700;

                (3) mileage traveled by members of the senate going to and returning from the seat of government by the usually traveled route, one round trip. . . . . . . . . $7,800;

                (4) mileage traveled by members of the house of representatives going to and returning from the seat of government by the usually traveled route, one round trip. . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12,900;

                (5) salaries and employee benefits of senate employees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  $3,500,000;

                (6) salaries and employee benefits of house of representatives employees. . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,490,700;

                (7) for expense of the senate not itemized above, two hundred twenty thousand four hundred dollars ($220,400). No part of this item may be transferred to salaries or employee benefits;

                (8) for expense of the house of representatives not itemized above, five hundred six thousand two hundred dollars ($506,200). No part of this item may be transferred to salaries or employee benefits; and

                (9) for session expenses of the legislative council service, the joint billroom and mailroom and joint legislative switchboard, two million two hundred forty-one thousand four hundred dollars ($2,241,400) to be disbursed upon vouchers signed by the director of the legislative council service or the director's designee.

           C. The expenditures for the senate shall be disbursed on vouchers signed by the chair of the committees' committee and the chief clerk of the senate or the chief clerk's designee. The expenditures for the house of representatives shall be disbursed on vouchers signed by the speaker and chief clerk of the house or the chief clerk's designee. Following adjournment of the session, expenditures authorized pursuant to Paragraphs (1) through (8) of Subsection B of this section shall be disbursed upon vouchers signed by the director of the legislative council service or the director's designee.

          D. Under the printing contracts entered into for the first session of the fifty-seventh legislature, the chair of the committees' committee of the senate, subject to the approval of the committee, and the speaker of the house of representatives are authorized and directed to provide for the printing of all bills, resolutions, joint resolutions, memorials and joint memorials introduced in the senate or house, the printing of the bill locator and the printing of all necessary stationery required for use in the respective houses. They are further directed to provide for the purchase of all supplies necessary for use in the respective houses within the appropriation provided. The orders for printing, stationery and supplies shall be approved by the chair of the committees' committee in the senate or by the speaker of the house.

     SECTION 2. BILLS AND OTHER PRINTED MATERIALS.--For the first session of the fifty-seventh legislature, bills, resolutions, joint resolutions, memorials and joint memorials delivered to the printer shall be returned by the printer to the joint billroom within forty-two hours after they are ordered to be printed. The billroom personnel shall supply a complete file of bills, resolutions, joint resolutions, memorials, joint memorials and other printed distribution materials to the following:

          A. upon request, one copy to each member of the house of representatives and the senate;

          B. upon written request, one copy to each county clerk, district judge, radio or television station and newspaper and to the general library of each state-supported institution of higher learning; and

          C. upon written request, one copy to each state department, commission, board, institution or agency, each elected state official, each incorporated municipality, each district attorney, each ex-governor, each member of the New Mexico congressional delegation and each school district in the state.

     SECTION 3. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SERVICE.--There is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative council service for expenditure in fiscal year 2026, to be disbursed upon vouchers signed by the director of the legislative council service or the director's designee, the following:

          Personal Services & Employee Benefits   $10,122,400

          Contractual Services                        620,000

          Other Costs                               1,442,200

          Total                                   $12,184,600.

     SECTION 4. LEGISLATURE.--There is appropriated from the general fund, unless otherwise indicated, for the expense of the legislative department, not provided for in Section 1 of this act, for expenditure in fiscal year 2026, unless otherwise indicated, to be disbursed on vouchers signed by the director of the legislative council service or the director's designee, the following:

          A. for travel expenses of legislators other than New Mexico legislative council members, on legislative council business, for committee travel, staff and other necessary expenses for other interim committees and for other necessary legislative expenses, four million dollars ($4,000,000); provided that the New Mexico legislative council may transfer amounts from the appropriation in this subsection, during the fiscal years for which appropriated, to any other legislative appropriation where they may be needed;

          B. for pre-session expenditures and for necessary contracts, supplies and personnel for interim session preparation, five hundred ten thousand dollars ($510,000);

          C. for a statewide legislative intern program, sixty-one thousand eight hundred dollars ($61,800);

          D. for dues and fees of national organizations of which the legislature is a member, four hundred sixty-five thousand eight hundred dollars ($465,800);

          E. for the legislative information system, for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, three million one hundred eighty-eight thousand nine hundred dollars ($3,188,900);

          F. for the interim duties of the senate rules committee, thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000);

          G. for the contractual services of the capitol buildings planning commission, two hundred fifty-seven thousand five hundred dollars ($257,500);

          H. for legislative district staff, including salaries and benefits, information technology equipment and software, furniture, supplies, office space and other necessary support, fourteen million dollars ($14,000,000). Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2026 from the appropriation in this subsection shall revert to the general fund;

          I. for expenditure in fiscal years 2026 through 2028 from legislative cash balances for equipment, furniture, upgrades and repairs for the state capitol complex, four million dollars ($4,000,000);

          J. for expenditure in fiscal years 2025 and 2026 from legislative cash balances for the ongoing planning, output development and design of a legislative processing system, five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000); and

          K. for expenditure in fiscal years 2025 and 2026 from legislative cash balances for the New Mexico legislature's support of the legislative clerks and secretaries section of the national conference of state legislatures to perform such functions as are necessary to prepare for the 2025 annual meeting to be held in Santa Fe, one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).

     SECTION 5. LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE.--There is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative finance committee, to be disbursed upon vouchers signed by the chair of the committee or the chair's designated representative:

          A. for expenditure in fiscal year 2026, the following:

          Personal Services & Employee Benefits    $6,525,100

          Contractual Services                        386,000

          Other Costs                                 549,600

          Total                                    $7,460,700;

          B. for expenditure in fiscal year 2025, seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) for ongoing collaboration on the salary study related to the state's job architecture for classified employees; and

          C. for expenditure in fiscal year 2025, three hundred fifty thousand dollars ($350,000) to purchase economic analysis software.

     SECTION 6. LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE.--There is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative education study committee for expenditure in fiscal year 2026, to be disbursed on vouchers signed by the chair of the committee or the chair's designated representative, the following:

          Personal Services & Employee Benefits    $1,686,200

          Contractual Services                         70,000

          Other Costs                                 190,000

          Total                                    $1,946,200.

     SECTION 7. HOUSE CHIEF CLERK.--There is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative council service for expenditure in fiscal year 2026 for the operation of the house chief clerk's office, to be disbursed on vouchers signed by the director of the legislative council service, the following:

          Personal Services & Employee Benefits    $3,152,800

          Contractual Services                        444,400

          Other Costs                                  72,600

          Total                                    $3,669,800.

     SECTION 8. SENATE CHIEF CLERK.--There is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative council service for expenditure in fiscal year 2026 for the operation of the senate chief clerk's office, to be disbursed on vouchers signed by the director of the legislative council service, the following:

          Personal Services & Employee Benefits    $2,804,800

          Contractual Services                        511,300

          Other Costs                                 105,900

          Total                                    $3,422,000.

     SECTION 9. OFFICIAL MASTER DATABASE OF LAWS--SELF-PUBLICATION--FREE ACCESS TECHNOLOGY--HARD-COPY PUBLICATION.--There is appropriated from the legislative cash balances for the legislative department's share of the continued development required for the master database of official annotated laws of the state, markup language and tagging and its use for legislative document systems and a tagged database of the session laws and for the costs associated in collaborating with the New Mexico compilation commission on the ongoing development and expanding partnership role with the New Mexico compilation commission in the self-publication of the New Mexico Statutes Annotated 1978, including technology for freely accessible laws and hard-copy publication, four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) for expenditure during fiscal years 2025 and 2026.

     SECTION 10. CATEGORY TRANSFER.--Amounts set out in Sections 3 through 8 of this act are provided for informational purposes only and may be transferred among categories.

     SECTION 11. PERFORMANCE MEASURES.--Each legislative agency shall adhere to the performance measures specified in its strategic plan and shall make reports as required in that plan.

     SECTION 12. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.

- 10 -