Legislation 2023
I am a proud sponsor of the following legislation that passed in this year's Session in Santa Fe. To explore all of my co-sponsored legislation, click here.
HB 15 - HB 15 aligns state law with federal law making it possible for children who qualify for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status to stay in the US and apply for citizenship until the age of 21 (up from the age of 18). Federal law allows children who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected to apply for SIJS. New Mexico strengthens federal law to include children who are fearful of returning to their home country.
HB 179 - HB 179 requires a person filing a claim for a lien with the county clerk to send notice of the filing to the property owner by certified mail with return receipt requested within 15 days of filing. This is to ensure the owner of the property is aware of the lien being filed against them.
HB 370 - HB 370 extends the provisions of the Surprise Billing Protection Act’s reimbursement provisions from July 1st, 2023 to July 1st, 2028. The original Surprise Billing Protection Act protects patients from a surprise bill from healthcare providers after they seek necessary medical care.
HM 3 - HM 3 established January 27th, 2023 as New Mexico Nurses Day to recognize our nurses for their tremendous effort and compassion as they work collectively to improve the health of individuals, families and communities nationwide.
There is still plenty of work to do. I’m running for re-election to continue working on some of the following issues and see legislation to the Governor’s desk in the future.
Conduct a study to research and design child welfare caseload standards for the Children, Youth, and Families Department to abide by so children can get the attention and resources they deserve, and staff can function to their highest potential.
Require our Department of Health to promulgate and enforce minimum nursing staffing-to-patient ratios so our nurses can provide services to each of their patients to the best of their ability.
Conduct a study on Medicaid Managed Care companies to examine outcomes and utilization of funds from the Medicaid system, and make recommendations on how to improve delivery of healthcare.
Continuing to address the shortage in affordable housing and find solutions to decrease homelessness.