NM House Highlights for Tuesday, Feb. 26

Category: Local News Releases Local News Releases
Published: 27 February 2013 27 February 2013

On the Floor

●     House Bill 20 (Equity Investments for College Endowments), sponsored by Rep. Bobby Gonzales (D-Taos-42) passed the House with a 62-0 vote. HB 20 would amend Section 22-1-38 NMSA 1978 to add in definitions, requirements for adoption of investment policy for investing endowment funds that would provide for equity investments of educational institutions’ endowment funds for economic development in New Mexico.
 
●     House Judiciary Committee Substitute for House Bill 66 (Health Care Coverage ID Cards), sponsored by Rep. Bill McCamley (D-Doña Ana-33) passed the house with a vote of 68 to 0. HB 66 relates to health care coverage to ensure a standardization of healthcare identification cards. HB 66 provides an easy, accurate method for healthcare providers to enter basic information into their system, by scanning a card.  NM would be among the first states to use such a card.  HBcs 66 now goes to the Senate.
 
●     House Bill 208 (Insurance Choice for Mental Health Counselors), sponsored by Rep. Miguel Garcia (D-Bernalillo-14) passed the House 67-1. HB 208 would extend to mental health counselors and therapists the existing protections of Freedom of Choice of Provider (Section 59A-22-32 NMSA 1978) related to health insurance. Current law provides individuals, within the area and limits of health insurance coverage selected by the insured, the freedom to select the hospital and certain practitioners who provide their care. HB 208 would add mental health counselors and therapists to the list of providers covered by the law. Adding these providers to the insurance code would facilitate the reimbursement of these services by insurance companies.
 
●     House Bill 238 Committee Substitute (NM Chile Advertising Act Violations), sponsored by Rep. Rudy Martinez (D-Doña Ana, Grant, Sierra-39) passed the House with a vote of 69-0. HB 238 helps prevent exploitive advertising that uses New Mexico communities and geographic locations as cultural icons to promote chile products not grown in New Mexico. The House Judiciary committee substitute makes it unlawful to “knowingly advertise, describe, label or offer” a chile pepper or chile pepper product not grown in New Mexico as New Mexico chile or done so by an entity that suggests a New Mexico location.
 
●     House Judiciary Committee Substitute for House Bill 316 (No Animal Killing Contests), sponsored by Rep. Nate Cote (D-Dona Ana & Otero-53), failed to pass the house by a vote of 30 to 38. HB 316 would have banned coyote killing contests. After nearly 2 hours of debate the bill failed to gain enough support.
 
●     House Bill 412 (General Fund Dollars to Tobacco Fund), sponsored by Rep. Jim Trujillo (D-Santa Fe-45) passed with a 66-0 vote. HB 412 strengthens long-term funding for reducing the cost to New Mexico of smoking.  It would authorize the transfer $150 million from the General Fund to the Tobacco Settlement Permanent Fund (TSPF), to restore funds diverted to meet state solvency needs.
 
●     House Bill 506 (Ben & Breakfast Beer and Wine License), sponsored by Rep. Dona Irwin (D-Grant, Hidalgo, Luna-32) passed the House with a vote of 69-0. HB 506 will authorize the issuing of Beer and Wine distribution licenses for bed and breakfast establishments.  Licenses would be dispensed to bed & breakfast owners/operators and would be limited to the serving of wine and beer along with meal service in a common area of the bed & breakfast. Servings of wine and beer shall be limited to two servings per guest.  To apply, a bed & breakfast establishment will submit a fee of $100 (one hundred dollars) to the Alcohol and Gaming Division.
 
●     House Bill 546, as amended, with emergency clause (Compilation of Certain Amendments into Law), sponsored by Speaker Ken Martinez (D-Bernalillo, Cibola, McKinley, San Juan, Socorro, Valencia-69) passed with a 69-0 vote.  HB 546 would allow for the compilation of statutes of multiple amendments to the same section of law, if deemed reconcilable.
 
●     House Joint Memorial 35 (Purchase New Mexican & American Goods), sponsored by Rep. Edward Sandoval (D-Bernalillo-17) passed the House by a vote of 59-0.  HJM 35 urges New Mexico governmental entities to buy locally.  They are urged, but not required to purchase materials, goods and services from New Mexican and American corporations to the greatest extent possible in order to encourage the creation of jobs for American workers and improve economic conditions.  HJM 35 now goes to the Senate for consideration.
 
●     House Joint Memorial 39 (Presidential Youth Council), sponsored by House Majority Whip Moe Maestas (D-Bernalillo-16) passed the house with a 68-0 vote. HJM 39 calls for support by the New Mexico Legislature for the formation of a Presidential Youth Council. The Presidential Youth Council would consist of youths between the ages of 16 and 24, appointed by leaders of the majority and minority parties in the US House of Representatives and US Senate, who can constructively contribute to public policy deliberations and conduct outreach to solicit the views and perspectives of youth peers.
 
In Committee
 
●     House Bill 395 (24/7 Sobriety Act), Sponsored by Rep. Emily Kane (D-Bernalillo-15), passed out of the House Transportation Committee today.  HB 395 intends to address the serious issue with repeat DWI convictions in New Mexico and overcrowding in our correctional facilities. This legislation encourages the coordination of efforts among courts, agencies as well as state and local governments to implement alternatives to incarceration. It authorizes court-ordered participation at the expense of the offender to ensure sobriety as a condition of bond or as an alternative to jail time.
 
●     House Joint Resolution 13 (Minimum Land Grant Fund Balance), sponsored by Rep. Antonio “Moe” Maestas (D-Bernalillo-16) was passed in the House Voters and Elections Committee by a vote of 6-4.  HJR 13 would give voters a chance to amend the New Mexico Constitution to fund early childhood education from the state Land Grant Permanent Fund (LGPF).  This legislation would include the early childhood education component by making permanent a 1.5 distribution off the top of the LGPF to early childhood education.  HJR 13 goes to the House Judiciary Committee.
 
●     House Bill 396 (College Logo Mobility Limit License Plate), sponsored by Rep. Emily Kane (D-Bernalillo-15) got an 8-0 “Do Pass” in the House Transportation and Public Works Committee.  HB 396 requires the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) to implement a special registration plate for people with a significant mobility limitation that features a collegiate logo of a state-supported New Mexico college when that college has requested collegiate registration plates.  There will be no special fee collected, but revenue collected will be distributed in accordance with existing applicable statutes.  HB 396 now heads to the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.
 
●     House Bill 337 Committee Substitute (Work New Mexico Act), sponsored by Rep. Jim Trujillo (D-Santa Fe-45) passed the House Taxation and Revenue Committee last night by a vote of 14-1.  HB 337cs expands the economy and creates jobs by authorizing the issuance of $122 million in severance tax bonds and expenditures for urgent shovel-ready capital projects statewide.  This bill contains an emergency clause.

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