[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6286537,"mediaKeyId","2558286-9aad8323698bdf7c3e92b7378c040231","parentId",2558286,"title","Committee Gives Due‑Pass to Bill Offering Job Protections for Volunteer Firefighter Training; Members Cite Small‑business Burden","audioSeconds",962,"startMs",709985,"endMs",1672725,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2558286-9aad8323698bdf7c3e92b7378c040231&start=709&end=1672","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2558286-9aad8323698bdf7c3e92b7378c040231/thumbnail_709985.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6286537/New-Mexico/Committee-Gives-DuePass-to-Bill-Offering-Job-Protections-for-Volunteer-Firefighter-Training-Members-Cite-Smallbusiness-Burden","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6286537-df9468c7ec8477fe9064557a8ea06410/orig.mp4?Expires=1771143787&Signature=mm8Z9C5TP8iijs9Br6ITew5z5-BZwDzgvVRnv0xddawf8Q3d--rQSDtHx0-ds69ENF2XC0BRd1svyJECh6ky8cSeNrGkLO-J5VRYgyz0nTR1jK8FD1-FFhPKzH8fDxwciBi1vRlWLWo-Rc-mjBC-ciRbC5gJ2pSY5NSgybVBXLNBMKcxH4MxLvvO~jti7Kz~tG74vlmZ3MqIb5372jkCNLpQP9yD48LHkjiqLSiqVnaJEwaIvUemiQ7PTb6bY1zlueU3OQdpkH-zW8UfS96loo64AtwE2TKuI58SETCLL~ybnk6L0ReKP3wLQ-Xy4Q-mmYTW~KraBb4M63c2LihqAA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Mexico Legislature","date","2025-03-11T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Gonzales presented House Bill 405, which would provide job protections for volunteer firefighters for training and in‑service time, modeling the status as a public‑service leave similar to jury duty or military leave.

The measure is intended to help rural volunteer fire departments recruit and retain personnel by protecting volunteers’ regular jobs when they attend mandatory or multi‑day training, sponsors said.

\"House Bill 405 ... essentially provides job protections for our volunteer firefighters in our rural communities,\" Representative Gonzales told the committee. Gonzales said the bill would let volunteers give notice to employers and preserve their positions for training periods and service calls.

Committee members raised concerns about the financial and operational cost to small businesses when an employee is away for training. One senator characterized the proposal as imposing an ongoing cost on small employers and contrasted it with jury duty, which is intermittent; that senator said the expense of covering a missing employee would fall to the small business.

Gonzales responded that the bill does not create paid leave and that the intent is to treat volunteer firefighter service as a public duty, like military leave or jury duty, and to encourage employers to accommodate training schedules through flexible options such as nights, weekends or virtual instruction. The sponsor said some training can require multiple days and that rural departments sometimes need multi‑day or out‑of‑area courses to meet ISO or safety standards.

A committee member asked about the typical length of classes; the sponsor said a common Level 2 or basic EMS course can be up to five days and that exact training needs vary by department and chief. The sponsor also noted the bill would not affect federal employees.

The committee recorded a due‑pass recommendation for HB 405 with a roll‑call tally reported as 2 yes, 1 no, 2 excused. The transcript records debate over recruitment and retention benefits weighed against the burden on small employers; no appropriation or reimbursement mechanism for affected businesses was discussed in the hearing excerpt.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate - Indian, Rural and Cultural Affairs Mar 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 405, introduced to provide job protections for volunteer firefighters attending training and service, received a due‑pass recommendation after committee debate about recruitment benefits and costs to small businesses; committee vote recorded as 2‑1‑2.","taxTitle","Senate, Legislative, New Mexico","taxId",78419,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6286542,"Committee Gives Due‑Pass to Bill Letting Secretary Waive One‑Week Waiting Period for Benefits During Emergencies",76,557930,634035,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2558286-9aad8323698bdf7c3e92b7378c040231&start=557&end=634","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2558286-9aad8323698bdf7c3e92b7378c040231/thumbnail_557930.jpg","/articles/6286542/New-Mexico/Committee-Gives-DuePass-to-Bill-Letting-Secretary-Waive-OneWeek-Waiting-Period-for-Benefits-During-Emergencies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6286542-13be7e4c2f6abe67471280fcdc99a939/orig.mp4?Expires=1771143787&Signature=KDDop62~xZyRXLdjD4NB7ECTuBsrqmBbFVxR3E0tX1z~TloY59JGWna8K5vXZ6KVqRQ59j0YdJRZ3Wjm4BeFAEp73vwR3KS9AN5MWPMea7irghIw~aIHExiDeTJwf3qHkcQ5dEn-ijVHX0h0kw6SkDEGF0qofbM4evbYLHitQcRIhkpMgWatESGiI3EZ4ZBOlfMRX4yOXtun1wlWHrlhKsEA55YrNLaoDNaAhHwi~DsTdOpK~Z-GKtZVaty9VgU~RFaqGmAe716J83kbBRUVRrA1dEklpPvwO3PtJ6CcAvLwIkhGAnUelC~HXd~UwOETix9XcOHuqj02w2pjbqt2oA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 249 would authorize the Secretary of the Department of Workforce Solutions to waive the standard one‑week waiting period for unemployment insurance benefits when a federal or state emergency or disaster is declared, sponsors said.

The proposal is intended to accelerate benefit access for workers affected by emergencies such as fires and floods, committee testimony said.

Leonardo Casaneda, identified himself as a senior policy adviser with the Department of Workforce Solutions, told the committee the department encountered the issue while responding to the Ruidoso fires and recent floods. \"We came across this issue, responding to the Ruidoso fires, the floods that we've had this summer,\" Casaneda said, and called the waiting period \"unfair\" in the context of disaster response.

A committee member moved the bill. The record shows the committee registered a 3‑2‑0 vote and gave the bill a due pass recommendation. The transcript does not record a roll‑call list of member votes by name in the excerpt; the committee recorded the tally as 3 yes, 2 no, 0 abstentions for the due pass.

No fund appropriations or implementation details were discussed in the excerpt provided. The bill text or any required administrative rule changes were not read into the record during the portion of the hearing in the transcript.","Committee gave a due‑pass recommendation to House Bill 249, which would allow the Secretary of Workforce Solutions to waive the one‑week waiting period for unemployment benefits when a federal or state emergency or disaster is declared; vote recorded as 3‑2‑0 in committee.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6286546,"Committee Hears Bill to Designate August as New Mexico Red and Green Chile Month; No Motion Taken",472,2639,475085,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2558286-9aad8323698bdf7c3e92b7378c040231&start=2&end=475","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2558286-9aad8323698bdf7c3e92b7378c040231/thumbnail_2639.jpg","/articles/6286546/New-Mexico/Committee-Hears-Bill-to-Designate-August-as-New-Mexico-Red-and-Green-Chile-Month-No-Motion-Taken","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6286546-3ef1f2e01d33e6fff637304c1bed6ed1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771143787&Signature=mmThWUsDpND-qgBmkkYsx9Ydi56ErQqQm-7I6kORP1UIXqYiz3Slh2ESenG4H-PuzG-ZJv9GZ~u9ctGtcxNQL1rJYqoy5ZBFi0A1OK50SWOLgoOXAGDr1wVoW0qMvTclhfzpTKrLXGBRj1x75sK23k1BcJrb67-85PX-AM2JPyUnRl1coJkEpNiTzqA8nqSxvvRdAucMjrJJwJl~O5ukwo2FI5SEmJrvKHFNO77KVYVBW8O8sW2sB4QDQ3PliCIGYsGsECOFRABp8FGzOvQUe74nB4gUNF4w~dILtPeZnJ1wbXNQ43gNNLEVhE~8Tyl~5kt2B4A23G2ByRwIOovcEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Dow introduced House Bill 172 to designate August as New Mexico Red and Green Chile Month, aiming to promote the state’s chile crop and related agritourism.

The bill matters because New Mexico producers, advocates and tourism officials say the crop has declined sharply and faces mislabeling and market pressures; proponents said a formal designation would help statewide marketing and agritourism efforts.

\"It is making the month of August red and green chile month,\" Representative Dow told the committee, saying New Mexico has seen chile acreage fall from \"over 30,000 acres\" to \"around 8,800 acres left.\" Travis Day of the New Mexico Chili Growers Association told the committee the industry faces disease, drought and labor shortages and said the designation would be \"another tool\" to promote the crop statewide.

Supporters described a range of potential uses for an official month: New Mexico True tour tie‑ins, local festivals and marketing that would benefit restaurants, wineries, breweries and food producers who use chile. Representative Dow said August was selected because it generally covers peak harvest timing across southern and northern growing areas and would let communities schedule celebrations that match local harvests.

Committee members asked practical questions. Senator Sherry asked, \"How will this change any of that?\" Representative Dow responded that the bill would not solve disease or drought but could help with branding and reducing false advertising, where chile marketed as Hatch or New Mexico sometimes originates elsewhere. Committee members also noted the long‑standing Hatch Chile Festival; Representative Dow said the Hatch organizers recommended August as the month and that festival dates can vary between late August and early September.

The chair asked for a motion; committee members did not make or second a motion. The record shows there was \"no motion\" and \"no second,\" so HB 172 did not advance out of committee at this hearing.

Looking ahead, proponents said the measure was intended as a marketing and branding tool rather than a regulatory fix. No additional funding or statutory changes were included in the bill text discussed at the hearing.","Representative introduced a bill to name August \"Red and Green Chile Month\" to boost agritourism and protect New Mexico chile branding; supporters described acreage losses and marketing needs. The committee took no motion or second, so the bill did not advance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee Gives Due‑Pass to Bill Offering Job Protections for Volunteer Firefighter Training; Members Cite Small‑business Burden

Committee Gives Due‑Pass to Bill Letting Secretary Waive One‑Week Waiting Period for Benefits During Emergencies

Committee Hears Bill to Designate August as New Mexico Red and Green Chile Month; No Motion Taken