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Judiciary committee advances multiple bills — compact for PAs, court relocations, accessibility office and consumer protections move forward
Summary
The House Judiciary Committee on a single agenda advanced a substitute to a juvenile corrections bill and recommended passage of measures on magistrate-court locations, a physician-assistant licensure compact, an Office of Accessibility, repeal of a will-deposit statute and enhancements to consumer-protection penalties.
The House Judiciary Committee advanced several bills on a packed agenda, recording committee recommendations on courtroom locations, professional licensure, state accessibility and consumer protections.
Votes at a glance - HB255 (Juvenile Community Connections) — committee recommended do not pass on the original bill and do pass on the House Judiciary Committee substitute (see separate article for detailed debate).
- HB352 (magistrate court locations): Committee adopted a friendly amendment that removed proposed relocations affecting San Juan reservation concerns, renumbered sections and then voted to recommend a do‑pass on the amended bill. Sponsor testimony said the change aims to improve court access and more efficiently place magistrate services; the committee required no reduction in judges or staff.
- HB413 (physician assistant licensure compact): The committee recommended a do‑pass. Sponsors and supporting witnesses said joining the interstate compact will increase provider access (including telehealth) and that the medical board expects increased licensure activity. Supporters in the hearing included business and veteran groups and the Council of State Governments (technical assistance).
- HB120 (Office of Accessibility): After a committee substitute, the panel recommended do‑pass. The substitute creates an Office of Accessibility within the Governor’s Commission on Disability to centralize ADA coordination across state agencies, provide technical assistance and track compliance. Testimony in support came from disability advocates, the GCD director and the Department of Information Technology; opponents urged improvements in measurable outputs and up-to-date program records during oversight.
- HB132 (repeal: deposit of wills statute): The committee recommended a do‑pass on the sponsor’s repeal proposal. Supporters, including court administrators, said the statute requires courts to hold wills deposited by anyone (statewide) and that the practice produces storage and identification problems across multiple judicial districts. A probate attorney testified in opposition, arguing the statute imposes minimal clerk duties and that repeal is unnecessary. The sponsor said a multi-state trend favors repeal or sunset of similar laws and that courts lack an efficient, statewide central filing mechanism.
- HB61 (Unfair Practices Act changes): The committee recommended a do‑pass on a Commerce Committee substitute. The bill raises civil penalties under the Unfair Practices Act (from $5,000 to $10,000 for general violations) and establishes enhanced penalties (up to $25,000 per violation) for deceptive trade practices during declared disasters or emergencies. Sponsors said penalties have not been adjusted in decades and the enhancements are intended to deter price-gouging and opportunistic misconduct following disasters.
Why it matters: The batch of bills affects how courts are located and accessed, how health professionals can practice across state lines, how state government coordinates accessibility for people with disabilities, and consumer protections during emergencies. Several measures carry budget or implementation elements that will require follow-up (for example, the accessibility office will involve operations and an FTE; HB413 may increase licensing traffic for the state medical board).
Quotes from the hearing "All people are worthy of rehabilitation and that need care and support, not criminalization," said Daniel Williams of the ACLU of New Mexico while opposing aspects of the juvenile-bill substitute.
"The compact is an avenue that helps the state move forward," said Adrian Gomez of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce in support of the physician-assistant licensure compact.
Ending: Committee members signaled continued oversight and asked sponsors and agencies for implementation details — for example, counts for youth commitments, metrics for an accessibility office and expected licensing volume for the PA compact. All advanced items will proceed to further floor consideration and, where relevant, fiscal committees for appropriation review.
