SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – In 2024, state lawmakers passed a handful of new laws that will impact the state. Some key laws are going into effect this spring.
Lawmakers recently approved a wide range of bills, from gun-related regulations to adjusted requirements students must meet to graduate high school. Many of those new laws go into effect on May 15.
House Bill 129, which creates a seven calendar-day waiting period for firearm purchases goes into effect May 15. The idea received intense debate and was ultimately cut down from 14 days to seven before being approved. Some say it could impact the way gun shows are run.
Also going into effect in May is a bill aimed at making sure voters aren’t deceived in elections. House Bill 182 requires disclaimers on advertisements that are “materially deceptive,” and it makes it an election violation to distribute materially deceptive media.
Lawmakers also passed a bill to make sure polling places remain safe. Senate Bill 5 will go into effect in May and make it a crime to have a firearm near a polling place, although there are some exceptions.
A few school-related laws are going into effect in May. That includes House Bill 171, which requires the New Mexico Public Education Department to implement adjusted high school graduation requirements for students entering ninth grade in the 2025-2026 school year. New reporting policies and procedures for affirmative consent in colleges and universities (House Bill 151) will also take effect in May.
One heavily debated bill going into effect is a bill requiring the state to develop a clean fuel standard similar to the rules used in California. The idea is to help push New Mexico towards more environmentally friendly cars, trucks, and transportation, but opponents say the requirements could cost low-income New Mexicans more at the pump. Proponents say the rules could spur job growth.
A handful of other new laws are going into effect this spring. They include government funding changes, increased salaries for New Mexico’s Supreme Court justices, and funding for public school construction projects.
