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Committee debates repeal of statutory bill‑introduction deadline and asks sponsor to refile
Summary
Representative McQueen proposed repealing Section 2‑6‑1 NMSA, which sets a bill‑introduction deadline in statute. Committee members raised constitutional and rule conflicts and asked the sponsor to reroll the measure for further drafting.
Representative McQueen presented House Bill 256, a proposal to repeal a statute (Section 2‑6‑1 NMSA) that currently limits when bills may be filed during a regular session. McQueen said the requirement duplicates a House rule (House Rule 11‑26) and complicates any change to session lengths such as a 45/45 schedule.
Committee members and analysts identified legal and practical questions. Several lawmakers noted the state constitution (Article IV, Section 19) delegates timing limits to law, meaning a simple repeal in statute may require a constitutional change or careful drafting to avoid conflict. Representative Supanski and others pointed to joint drafting rules, drafting‑request deadlines and the interaction of joint rules with statutory language.
Members and staff asked the sponsor to reroll the bill so the language can be refined — for example, by counting backward from the end of a session or by limiting last‑minute introductions without creating unintended gaps. The chair said the request to reroll was appropriate and the sponsor agreed to return with revised language. No committee vote was taken on HB256.
