The 2026 legislative session has now entered the closing stretch. No new bills can be introduced since the deadline for introduction was February 4th. There are currently 378 bills pending in the House of Representatives and 313 bills pending in the Senate. As is customary, some of the bills are not actual proposals; rather they are dummy bills introduced on February 4th to provide a placeholder should it be necessary to introduce legislation after the official deadline has passed.
House Bill 69 seeks to modify the statute of limitations for civil actions related to sexual abuse. We remain concerned about this legislation. If passed, it would amend Section 37-1-30 NMSA to allow alleged victims until they have reached 58 years of age to resuscitate an already expired statute of limitations for civil actions due to childhood sex abuse. We do not expect this bill to advance since no hearing has been scheduled.
House Bill 74 would eliminate the 10-year statute of limitations on prior felonies. This bill was heard by the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee on February 3rd, 2026. It did not receive the necessary votes to advance; it’s likely dead for this session.
House Bill 79 seeks to make it easier for the state to revoke a person’s probation. The language proposed in HB 79 would reduce the burden of proof to a preponderance of the evidence. This legal standard is inadequate and not appropriate in a criminal proceeding. The bill has been assigned to the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. No hearing has been scheduled. This legislation is likely dead for this session.
House Bill 199 seeks to bring New Mexico into substantial compliance with the federal Adam Walsh Act. In our previous updates, we deliberately omitted this proposal because it did not have an executive message from the governor. The governor provided a message last week, and the bill is now germane for this session. The proposal is not perfect, and we are working hard to improve the language of the legislation. The bill is scheduled to be heard today (Tuesday) in the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. We will keep you informed.
Senate Bill 32 proposes to:
- revise the time limitation for commencing prosecution of human trafficking;
- increase the age applicable to victims of sexual exploitation of children by prostitution to eighteen;
- amend the elements of human trafficking;
- provide a definition of harm;
- prohibit certain defenses in a prosecution for certain crimes;
- add victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children to the victims of the crime act;
- prohibit earned meritorious deductions for a human trafficking sentence.
The bill was heard by the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee. It received a unanimous “do pass” recommendation. The legislation is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee awaiting a hearing. We will keep you informed.
Senate Bill 41 proposes to eliminate the statute of limitations for certain sexual crimes. The bill has been assigned to the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee. It was heard on a rare Sunday afternoon meeting on February 1st and received a unanimous “do pass.” Next, the legislation will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee. No hearing has been scheduled as of this writing. We will continue our strong opposition to this legislation.
Senate Bill 51 proposes to:
- enact the wrongful conviction compensation act;
- provide for a person who claims to have been wrongfully convicted of a misdemeanor or felony offense in state court to petition the court for exoneration;
- provide compensation, damages, and other relief for a person who is exonerated.
The bill has not advanced because it has been determined that it is not germane to this year’s session agenda. We intend to support this legislation in the future.