FEED BILL, the official text

HOUSE BILL 1

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

Reena Szczepanski

AN ACT

RELATING TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT; MAKING
APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE EXPENSE OF THE FIFTY-SEVENTH
LEGISLATURE, SECOND SESSION, 2026, AND FOR OTHER LEGISLATIVE
EXPENSES, INCLUDING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SERVICE, THE
LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE, THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY
COMMITTEE, THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE, THE HOUSE CHIEF CLERK'S
OFFICE, THE SENATE CHIEF CLERK'S OFFICE AND OTHER EXPENSES OF
THE LEGISLATURE; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

SECTION 1. SESSION EXPENSES.--

A. There is appropriated from the general fund for
the expense of the legislative department of the state of New
Mexico for the second session of the fifty-seventh legislature
for per diem and mileage of its members, for salaries of
employees and for other expenses of the legislature, seven
million two hundred forty-one thousand four hundred dollars
($7,241,400) or so much thereof as may be necessary for such
purposes.

B. The expenditures referred to in Subsection A of
this section are as follows:

(1) per diem for senators. . . . . . $254,600;

(2) per diem for members of the house of
representatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$424,200;

(3) mileage traveled by members of the senate
going to and returning from the seat of government by the
usually traveled route, one round trip. . . . . . . . . $8,000;

(4) mileage traveled by members of the house
of representatives going to and returning from the seat of
government by the usually traveled route, one round trip. . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$13,500;

(5) salaries and employee benefits of senate
employees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,700,000;

(6) salaries and employee benefits of house of
representatives employees. . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,275,000;

(7) for expense of the senate not itemized
above, five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). No part of
this item may be transferred to salaries or employee benefits;

(8) for expense of the house of
representatives not itemized above, four hundred sixty-six
thousand one hundred dollars ($466,100). No part of this item
may be transferred to salaries or employee benefits; and

(9) for session expenses of the legislative
council service, the joint billroom and mailroom and joint
legislative switchboard, one million six hundred thousand
dollars ($1,600,000) to be disbursed upon vouchers signed by
the director of the legislative council service or the
director's designee.

C. The expenditures for the senate shall be
disbursed on vouchers signed by the chair of the committees'
committee and the chief clerk of the senate or the chief
clerk's designee. The expenditures for the house of
representatives shall be disbursed on vouchers signed by the
speaker and chief clerk of the house or the chief clerk's
designee. Following adjournment of the session, expenditures
authorized pursuant to Paragraphs (1) through (8) of Subsection
B of this section shall be disbursed upon vouchers signed by
the director of the legislative council service or the
director's designee.

D. Under the printing contracts entered into for
the second session of the fifty-seventh legislature, the chair
of the committees' committee of the senate, subject to the
approval of the committee, and the speaker of the house of
representatives are authorized and directed to provide for the
printing of all bills, resolutions, joint resolutions,
memorials and joint memorials introduced in the senate or
house, the printing of the bill locator and the printing of all
necessary stationery required for use in the respective houses.
They are further directed to provide for the purchase of all
supplies necessary for use in the respective houses within the
appropriation provided. The orders for printing, stationery
and supplies shall be approved by the chair of the committees'
committee in the senate or by the speaker of the house.

SECTION 2. BILLS AND OTHER PRINTED MATERIALS.--For the
second session of the fifty-seventh legislature, bills,
resolutions, joint resolutions, memorials and joint memorials
delivered to the printer shall be returned by the printer to
the joint billroom within forty-two hours after they are
ordered to be printed. The billroom personnel shall supply a
complete file of bills, resolutions, joint resolutions,
memorials, joint memorials and other printed distribution
materials to the following:

A. upon request, one copy to each member of the
house of representatives and the senate;

B. upon written request, one copy to each county
clerk, district judge, radio or television station and
newspaper and to the general library of each state-supported
institution of higher learning; and

C. upon written request, one copy to each state
department, commission, board, institution or agency, each
elected state official, each incorporated municipality, each
district attorney, each ex-governor, each member of the New
Mexico congressional delegation and each school district in the
state.

SECTION 3. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SERVICE.--There is
appropriated from the general fund to the legislative council
service for expenditure in fiscal year 2027, to be disbursed
upon vouchers signed by the director of the legislative council
service or the director's designee, the following:

Personal Services & Employee Benefits $10,916,300

Contractual Services $485,000

Other Costs $1,403,800

Total $12,805,100.

SECTION 4. LEGISLATURE.--There is appropriated from the
general fund, unless otherwise indicated, for the expense of
the legislative department, not provided for in Section 1 of
this act, for expenditure in fiscal year 2027, unless otherwise
indicated, to be disbursed on vouchers signed by the director
of the legislative council service or the director's designee,
the following:

A. for travel expenses of legislators other than
New Mexico legislative council members, on legislative council
business, for committee travel, staff and other necessary
expenses for other interim committees and for other necessary
legislative expenses, three million five hundred thousand
dollars ($3,500,000); provided that the New Mexico legislative
council may transfer amounts from the appropriation in this
subsection, during the fiscal years for which appropriated, to
any other legislative appropriation where they may be needed;

B. for pre-session expenditures and for necessary
contracts, supplies and personnel for interim session
preparation, five hundred sixty thousand dollars ($560,000);

C. for a statewide legislative intern program,
sixty-one thousand eight hundred dollars ($61,800);

D. for dues and fees of national organizations of
which the legislature is a member, four hundred seventy-nine
thousand three hundred dollars ($479,300);

E. for the legislative information system, for
fiscal years 2026 and 2027, three million five hundred twenty-nine thousand eight hundred dollars ($3,529,800);

F. for the interim duties of the senate rules
committee, thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000);

G. for the contractual services of the capitol
buildings planning commission, two hundred fifty-seven thousand
five hundred dollars ($257,500);

H. for expenditure in fiscal years 2026 through
2028 for the planning, output development and design of an
integrated capital outlay data system, two million one hundred
thousand dollars ($2,100,000);

I. for legislative district staff, including
salaries and benefits, information technology equipment and
software, furniture, supplies, office space and other necessary
support, thirteen million two hundred thousand dollars
($13,200,000). Any unexpended balance remaining at the end of
fiscal year 2027 from the appropriation in this subsection
shall revert to the general fund;

J. for expenditure in fiscal years 2027 through
2029 from legislative cash balances for equipment, furniture,
upgrades and repairs for the state capitol complex, two million
six hundred thousand dollars ($2,600,000); and

K. for expenditure in fiscal years 2026 and 2027
from legislative cash balances for the ongoing planning, output
development and design of a legislative processing system, one
million dollars ($1,000,000).

SECTION 5. LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE.--

A. There is appropriated from the general fund to
the legislative finance committee, to be disbursed upon
vouchers signed by the chair of the committee or the chair's
designated representative:

(1) for expenditure in fiscal year 2027, the
following:

Personal Services & Employee Benefits $6,980,700

Contractual Services $386,000

Other Costs $584,600

Total $7,951,300;

and

(2) for expenditure in fiscal years 2027 and
2028, one hundred seventy thousand dollars ($170,000) for
economic analysis subscription costs and data analysis
equipment.

B. Up to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) of the
unexpended balance of the appropriation in Laws 2025 (2nd
S.S.), Chapter 1, Section 7 may be expended from any category.

SECTION 6. LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE.--There
is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative
education study committee for expenditure in fiscal year 2027,
to be disbursed on vouchers signed by the chair of the
committee or the chair's designated representative, the
following:

Personal Services & Employee Benefits $1,824,300

Contractual Services $40,000

Other Costs $160,000

Total $2,024,300.

SECTION 7. HOUSE CHIEF CLERK.--There is appropriated from
the general fund to the legislative council service for
expenditure in fiscal year 2027 for the operation of the house
chief clerk's office, to be disbursed on vouchers signed by the
director of the legislative council service, the following:

Personal Services & Employee Benefits $3,716,700

Contractual Services $397,300

Other Costs $87,900

Total $4,201,900.

SECTION 8. SENATE CHIEF CLERK.--There is appropriated
from the general fund to the legislative council service for
expenditure in fiscal year 2027 for the operation of the senate
chief clerk's office, to be disbursed on vouchers signed by the
director of the legislative council service, the following:

Personal Services & Employee Benefits $3,361,500

Contractual Services $467,600

Other Costs $120,900

Total $3,950,000.

SECTION 9. CENSUS REDISTRICTING DATA PROGRAM.--There is
appropriated from the legislative cash balances to the
legislative council service for the first and second phases of
the 2030 census redistricting data program and to perform such
functions as are necessary to prepare for redistricting in
2031, five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for expenditure
in fiscal years 2026 through 2028.

SECTION 10. OFFICIAL MASTER DATABASE OF LAWS--SELF-PUBLICATION--FREE ACCESS TECHNOLOGY--HARD-COPY PUBLICATION.--There is appropriated from the legislative cash balances for
the legislative department's share of the continued development
required for the master database of official annotated laws of
the state, markup language and tagging and its use for
legislative document systems and a tagged database of the
session laws and for the costs associated in collaborating with
the New Mexico compilation commission on the ongoing
development and expanding partnership role with the New Mexico
compilation commission in the self-publication of the New
Mexico Statutes Annotated 1978, including technology for freely
accessible laws and hard-copy publication, four hundred
thousand dollars ($400,000) for expenditure during fiscal years
2026 and 2027.

SECTION 11. CATEGORY TRANSFER.--Amounts set out in
Sections 3 through 8 of this act are provided for informational
purposes only and may be transferred among categories.

SECTION 12. PERFORMANCE MEASURES.--Each legislative
agency shall adhere to the performance measures specified in
its strategic plan and shall make reports as required in that
plan.

SECTION 13. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public
peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.

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