House reads dozens of bills by title, adopts committee reports and forwards measures to committees

The New Mexico House on Feb. 2 conducted a heavy bill‑introduction and committee‑reporting session, reading a long list of measures by title and referring them to the appropriate standing committees.

Clerk entries and executive messages included a notification that Senate Bill 19 (with an emergency clause) had been duly enrolled, and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham transmitted bills for consideration including a bill adding a statutory definition for fentanyl and a proposal to regulate color, materials, and design elements on cannabis product packaging. Those executive messages were read into the record and entered.

House members and committee chairs reported on dozens of committee recommendations. The Health and Human Services Committee, Judiciary Committee, Commerce and Economic Development Committee and others presented favorable reports on a range of bills; the House adopted those committee reports by voice vote with the speaker announcing that the ayes have it on each item. Notable introduced bills read by title and referred include:

- House Bill 269: an act relating to child care, limiting certain contracting by licensed child care and early childhood programs.
- House Bill 270: an act relating to public works and contributions to apprentice and training programs.
- House Bill 273: the Women’s Safety and Protection Act, addressing shelter space and related protections.
- House Bill 275: authorizing revenue bonds for the Gila Regional Cancer Center and making an appropriation.
- House Bill 281: creating the solar and wind decommissioning fund and financial‑assurance requirements.

Other bills introduced covered education governance, criminal statutes (including residential deed theft), Medicaid and health plan changes, privacy protections for medical records, workforce internship pilots, and multiple appropriations and memorials. Each bill was ordered printed and referred to committees as required by House rules.

Committee chairs moved adoption of favorable or substituted reports for many bills; those adoptions were entered on the House floor and referred to follow‑on committees (for example, Appropriations and Finance, Taxation and Revenue, Judiciary). Several items were routed under constitutional provisions requiring retention of messages and referrals.

The House did not take recorded roll‑call votes on most committee report adoptions; actions were adopted by voice and recorded on the floor as 'the ayes have it.' Referred bills will await committee hearings and further floor consideration.