[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",6118507,"mediaKeyId","2723565-570ac89021c870678320fdd44c80868e","parentId",2723565,"title","Senate committee backs bill creating framework for free‑roaming horse management, including fertility control and adoption","audioSeconds",1260,"startMs",1992000,"endMs",3252000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2723565-570ac89021c870678320fdd44c80868e&start=1992&end=3252","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2723565-570ac89021c870678320fdd44c80868e/thumbnail_1992000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6118507/New-Mexico/Senate-committee-backs-bill-creating-framework-for-freeroaming-horse-management-including-fertility-control-and-adoption","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6118507-7afaa8cebdb9375abb768eb901369ae7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175313&Signature=mJO60KM5ob~orVVro40dlLbBbyGDyLOHYGNXONc1~H69gLBx2IjeVKB70wt8LILox4Bj3kcgB86Fws65XemUdIVfc9xsh3vQFi42VMbyLQEuFT1ZGgU-0imRFI-GnV7e8glh5~8J6IA2axszq3tuPeamhbpa7RjIC3HKcAQnmJXIcPwZnzeOOqZKG78rUyY5VDGZpZ5D7svRrPmrpldrO2aVCXsdf5PLBUYueMICkF7mFH~QdUQrL9dr~PQMN1qLpPH0bO2ntKU2X32rnzKS17hdAZOQhRW19k7cFTFvHi8p-fRP42ygwHFmdLgslKzCKkjjzrJ86gcNpXrDioGsfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Mexico Legislature","date","2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill that would create a statutory framework for managing free‑roaming horses in New Mexico by authorizing adoption or relocation, permitting fertility‑control programs and prohibiting slaughter of adopted or relocated animals, witnesses said.

Supporters described long‑running conflicts in areas such as Placitas, Sandoval and Lincoln counties where free‑roaming and semi‑domesticated horse bands have expanded, causing property damage, safety worries and damage to watersheds. ‘‘In Placitas, we have a 75 free‑roaming, feral, unmanaged horses,’’ said Mike Nees, describing vehicle fatalities and overgrazing he attributed to unmanaged horse bands. County and conservation officials said the bill would allow local entities and the New Mexico Livestock Board to contract with qualified experts to assess range capacity, oversee fertility control programs and coordinate relocation or adoption, with landowner consent for on‑range capture.

Nina Edelman, equine program director at Animal Protection New Mexico, described the bill as a humane, science‑based management tool that would prohibit slaughter and require livestock‑board rules for experts and management contracts. ‘‘This bill provides a framework for the humane and science based management of free roaming horses using all the necessary tools, including the relocation of horses when needed for their well‑being and for the health of the land while providing firm protections for horses against mistreatment and slaughter,’’ she told the committee.

Opponents, including representatives of wildlife and animal‑welfare organizations and land‑grant heirs, warned the bill could remove long‑standing legal protections and facilitate private control of public‑land wildlife, and said past government roundups had resulted in auctions and slaughter. Patience O’Dowd, representing an opposing organization, said the proposal could conflict with existing statutes and federal agency practices, and suggested litigation would follow if horses were reclassified or removed from public‑land protections.

Committee members asked whether the bill allows transport or sale for slaughter; the sponsor said the bill specifically prohibits knowingly slaughtering, selling for slaughter, or causing slaughter of a free‑roaming horse and that the livestock‑board rulemaking would exclude free‑roaming horses from the livestock definition used for ordinary livestock regulation. Supporters and some county officials said the bill would give counties a tool they currently lack to stabilize herd size and protect public safety and range health.

After testimony and questions the committee recorded affirmative votes from several senators and issued a do‑pass recommendation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate - Judiciary Mar 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance a bill that would authorize rules and contracts for humane management of free‑roaming horses, including relocation, adoption, fertility control and a prohibition on slaughter; supporters cited overgrazing and public‑safety concerns while opponents warned of legal and conservation consequences.","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},6118512,"Committee moves bill to add felonies to caregiver disqualifications, adds judicial review language",495,1455000,1950000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2723565-570ac89021c870678320fdd44c80868e&start=1455&end=1950","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2723565-570ac89021c870678320fdd44c80868e/thumbnail_1455000.jpg","/articles/6118512/New-Mexico/Committee-moves-bill-to-add-felonies-to-caregiver-disqualifications-adds-judicial-review-language","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6118512-544e0c256a480599f5203a1a5a272003/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175313&Signature=gnhyaGbuD45vIrEL6Lm46a8z8SSiAG9PvO3RBu7MGet0vNUIUgvVu597wbDdTtFldcpJ5x-qoVLrf3R~O5coYvuqb2s6qJGmL0MyKQMmszW9BZlNwV8SMJtg-~CpzxjRzD14qeepAy2BG-jwuhLWDwKWmuflLVZukZLxdJtVmnb6VqZQgnAhP62-b4K9mi1ZG6yRnsk8ZL-QWOKXQe7-KrH6wJ1lbDfIxGt87EKA3Ts-slrr-QK2TdFRAkesycKVhVL~GOg2doqeGgXMwCDwRipEr4es4CzGfA8tIXD9UvxS8fz5vPhpHWuFRaKpyknC25WL8jjybKtWjWHduP39FQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 131, presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee, would amend Section 29‑17‑5 to expand the grounds that disqualify an applicant from caregiver roles, add an \"unreasonable risk\" standard for disqualification, and provide explicit judicial‑review language for applicants denied under the statute.

Sponsor remarks summarized the bill’s changes and listed the felony convictions newly added in the bill text: human trafficking; assault of a peace officer; identity theft; and cruelty to animals. The sponsor also described the bill as building on prior work to strengthen background checks administered through the division of health improvement.

Alex Castillo Smith, deputy cabinet secretary for the Health Care Authority, told the committee that severe abuse investigations and exploitations have increased and that New Mexico has fewer disqualifying convictions in current law than other states. ‘‘There has been a 117% increase in severe abuse and exploitation since fiscal year ’22,’’ he said, arguing that the bill seeks to address gaps that allowed a person charged with child abuse to remain a paid caregiver for another vulnerable child in one recent case.

Committee members questioned the bill’s judicial‑review language and whether a separate appeals statute needed explicit cross‑reference. Mark Reynolds, general counsel for the Division of Health Improvement, and later the Health Care Authority, said applicants retain their statutory right to appeal administrative decisions and noted that Supreme Court procedural rules (cited as Rule 1074 in committee exchange) apply when a statutory right to appeal exists.

One opponent, Jake Smith of the Governed a Change Project, urged the committee to conduct oversight and asked about a reported data breach involving the Department of Health’s background‑check database. Smith said he had reported the breach in January 2024 and that the system had exposed personal information for people undergoing background checks; he asked for accountability and oversight of the transfer of responsibilities to the Health Care Authority.

After brief discussion the committee moved the bill forward. The committee chair announced a do‑pass recommendation after no member objected to the motion.","Senators advanced House Bill 131, which would amend statute 29‑17‑5 to add specified felony convictions that disqualify caregiver applicants, permit an 'unreasonable risk' standard, and add language on judicial review; proponents cited rising abuse reports and opponents raised data‑security concerns about background check transfers.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6118517,"Senate committee advances bill to let optometrists perform certain in-office laser eye procedures",0,1464000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2723565-570ac89021c870678320fdd44c80868e&start=1464&end=1464","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2723565-570ac89021c870678320fdd44c80868e/thumbnail_1464000.jpg","/articles/6118517/New-Mexico/Senate-committee-advances-bill-to-let-optometrists-perform-certain-in-office-laser-eye-procedures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6118517-ab054f65170648ba7cc4b2cd634e0d73/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175313&Signature=FzaOz60SRrbw4JoUgZ7cLuLsAlng578BQcJzZfJWYUfOkAX2jcpdjB4uURFWO2tSHLvuhqZANQUAlJn9EIgiRLQmlbMYeAkzSf6uY1cCcT478DZLBKFqcno1rmtt8qbPCjy1ZcTHffAAYpc-pf46vhksWVpmsRnnSXMCtZc88oLtfC~9EFs-c1yVMFJfEKrLt9ZISXQFm4L9rb3mpHr~am~bNG7rAZdsUsj8-1hDESvBp4C0O6ENcPRhGQvBFnfPb4A-FOswCr7V3Mfy59tXZjchXgeSRQFCwUMq6qhY~idu0tqnfavP0ylMGrdraifupyyQcQMmlLKl2GVdA381~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Supporters told the Senate Judiciary Committee that House Bill 36 would expand optometrists' scope of practice to allow in‑office laser procedures for post‑cataract care and for prevention and treatment of glaucoma, arguing the change would improve access and reduce travel and wait times for New Mexico patients.

The bill would require the New Mexico Board of Optometry to develop credentialing standards and a public rule‑making process for optometrists who wish to perform the specified laser procedures, supporters said. ‘‘These procedures are taught at all schools and colleges of optometry, and our training has been proven safe and effective,’’ said Dr. Sarah Voorz, past president of the New Mexico Optometric Association, citing what she described as 146,000 procedures performed by optometrists in other states and a low reported adverse‑event count.

Opponents — mainly ophthalmologists, a retina surgeon and a patient who said she was harmed by a YAG procedure performed by an optometrist in another state — urged the committee to reject the expansion on patient‑safety grounds. ‘‘There’s a critical difference in our training,’’ said Dr. Rebecca Laneher, president of the New Mexico Academy of Ophthalmology. Laneher described laser complications that she said can require emergency surgical intervention and said state Department of Health filings express concerns about patient safety when lasers are used by practitioners she characterized as insufficiently trained.

Patient testimony highlighted those safety concerns. Vicky Rutledge, who identified herself as a patient treated in Oklahoma, told the committee she lost central vision after a YAG laser procedure performed by an optometrist. ‘‘I am living proof that lack of knowledge and proper training in our vision health care providers is both dangerous and preventable,’’ she said.

Ophthalmology witnesses pointed to studies and exhibits they submitted to the committee. Melissa Lobato, executive director of the New Mexico Academy of Ophthalmology, cited a paper in the opposition packet that, in her description, found no access‑to‑care benefit in five states and reported a decline in rural optometrists in one analysis. Nathaniel Roybal, a retina surgeon, said most practicing optometrists have counted training hours on models rather than live patients and emphasized that surgical skills are developed under the supervision of experienced eye surgeons.

Committee members questioned both sides about the amount and format of training and whether credentialing rules adopted by the New Mexico Board of Optometry would address the committee’s concerns. Senator Duhigg pressed for specifics on how much of current optometry training is hands‑on versus model‑based; supporters said training varies by school and that the board’s credentialing process would set the state standard and include a public hearing.

After testimony and questions the committee took a roll‑call action and moved the bill forward. The committee recorded affirmative votes from Senators Brantley, Dunhill, Paul, Stewart, Wirth and Chair Cervantes and the clerk announced a do‑pass recommendation.","The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced House Bill 36, which would expand optometrists' scope of practice to include specified in‑office laser procedures for post‑cataract care and glaucoma, after hours of testimony from optometrists, ophthalmologists and patients about access and safety.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate committee backs bill creating framework for free‑roaming horse management, including fertility control and adoption

Committee moves bill to add felonies to caregiver disqualifications, adds judicial review language

Senate committee advances bill to let optometrists perform certain in-office laser eye procedures