The 2023 New Mexico Legislative Session

2 years ago

The 2023 New Mexico Legislative Session started with a bang and as is usually the case only a small percentage of bills introduced have made it through. Those of you who saw my LinkedIn update on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, are aware that SB 11, The Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) bill which received a lot of press did not make it this year. We will continue to track potential efforts to revive this piece of legislation in 2024. In addition, the two minimum wage bills and HB 292, relating to changing the definition of safety-sensitive positions, did not pass.

While we did not list all of the bills related to employment that did not make it due to the sheer number, below is a list of the pieces of employment legislation that did make it.

HB 106	INCREASE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PENSION MAX
HB 116	PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PENSION MAX
HB 127	EDUCATION ASSISTANT SALARY INCREASE
HB 207	EXPAND HUMAN RIGHTS ACT SCOPE
HB 189	EDUCATIONAL RETIREMENT CHANGES

Of particular note, HB 207 expands the current Human Rights Act, extending the Act to certain state actions of its political subdivisions and public contractors and expands protected classes to include gender. Public Contractors are defined as those who contract with a governmental entity. The Act outlines the specific political subdivisions, and the Act also outlines the state, governmental entities, and public bodies.

The Act updates the definitions to include sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender. If you are a public contractor or believe you may be considered a political subdivision or any state, governmental or public body, we recommend that you review the Act to determine its applicability to your organization. If you would like to learn more about the New Mexico Human Rights Act or would like training, contact Southwestern HR Consulting today!